20 Things You Somehow Missed In Top Gun
1. What Are The Characters' Actual Names?
Even if you haven't seen Top Gun in years, it's easy to remember who is who. Iceman is the cocky pilot who keeps trying to one-up Maverick. Maverick's best friend, Goose, who uses humour to cheer up his mates and to ridicule his enemies. Stinger is the ball-busting commander. Viper is the instructor who acts tough but has a heart of gold.
But if you ask about the characters' real names, even the most avid fan probably couldn't tell you. At first, one would assume the Topgun applicants' names are never mentioned. However, all the main pilot's names are uttered or are seen on file at least once.
Maverick's real name is Pete Mitchell, Iceman is Tom Kazansky, Goose is Nick Bradshaw, Viper is Mike Metcalf, Merlin is Sam Wells, Stinger is Tom Jordan, and Jester is Rick Heatherly. Since "Pete" doesn't sound as badass as "Maverick", it's easy to understand why fans of Top Gun choose to only remember the characters by their nicknames.