The 5th Generation Fighter Pilots are the main antagonists of the 2022 blockbuster action film, Top Gun: Maverick. They were pilots of the unnamed Rogue Nation's air forces.
Biography[]
Not much is known about those pilots, but it appears they work for the Rogue Nation's Air Force, guarding one of their air bases and their underground nuclear facility located underneath the mountains.
They are first shown on their fighter jets doing their routine patrol during the US Navy's mission to bomb the underground nuclear facility located within the mountains. Because of this, Maverick, Phoenix, with her Weapons Officer Bob, Rooster, and Payback had to fly quickly to their target site before the pilots can get to them first. Although they are successful, Maverick and his wing men were unexpectedly attacked by the Rogue Nations SAM sites, which resulted in Maverick sacrificing his jet to save Rooster and forcing him to eject. Because of this, the rest of the pilots were forced to retreat before the 5th Generation pilots can get them, though Rooster breaks off to save Maverick only to unexpectedly be shot by a SAM himself. He is able to survive though, and he and Maverick were able to sneak into one of their air bases and steal an F-14 Tomcat.
As they try to get back to the aircraft carrier, they are unexpectedly met by two of the 5th Generation pilots. Maverick and Rooster try to pretend that they are friendly, only for the pilots to make strange hand gestures to them. Unable to evade them through pretending, Maverick decides to initiate a dogfight between them. He is able to take out one fighter jet using the F-14's guns, sending it to the ground. The other pilot then fires a heat seeking missile on Maverick, though he is able to evade it by going through the debris of the other jet which destroys it. Although the pilot was able to successfully eject before impact. The second pilot then fired another missile on Maverick, though he was able to up the air and have Rooster use flares to evade and maneuver the jet. Getting behind it, Maverick is able to lock on the jet and fire on it, only for the pilot to execute the Kvochur’s Bell maneuver and get behind Maverick and Rooster once more. Maverick and Rooster decide to go through the river bends of the canyon since the targeting systems of the pilot will confuse them. This forces the pilot to use his guns on Maverick. They try using flares to shake him off only for the jet to make it through them. Although the pilot was able to damage them by a slight margin, Maverick uses another maneuver to get behind the pilot and was able to get missile lock on him only for the pilot to use his flares once more. Having no choice, Maverick switches to guns and is able to successfully destroy the remaining fighter jet, though the pilot is able to successfully eject before impact.
As Maverick and Rooster finally make it out, they encounter another third 5th Generation jet. Maverick tries to use the F-14's guns once more only to run out of ammo. The jet begins to fire at them, although they are able to still evade it using the flares. The 5th Generation pilot begins to chase them and use its guns. Having no option, Maverick and Rooster try to eject only to find out that the ejection seats aren't working. As the pilot begins to lock them, he is unexpectedly killed by Hangman, who arrives in the nick of time to save Maverick and Rooster from death.
Appearance[]
The 5th Generation Fighter Pilots appearance is basically ambiguous and remains as a mystery, as they are only shown to wear a dark, visor helmet with oxygen mask alongside a black flight suit and thus making their identity unknown.
Personality[]
Despite them not showing their faces, the 5th Generation Fighter Pilots all seem to be serious, ruthless, vicious, homicidal, merciless, relentless, murderous wolves who do not tolerate anyone wasting their time, nor anyone trespassing into their nation's territory.
Trivia[]
- Their nationality is never revealed.
- Their fighter jet is clearly based on the real-life Su-57 Felon used by the Russian Air Force.
- The hands gestures that the pilot was making meant "follow me" and "heading 330".
- The actors who portrayed the 5th Generation Fighter Pilots are not identified, nor do they have any speaking lines whatsoever.
- Out of all the pilots that appeared, only two have survived their encounters with Maverick; the first pilot was able to eject quickly after Maverick downs his jet with guns and lures the second Felon’s missile into the first Felon, the other also ejected after Maverick damages the second Felon with the Tomcat’s guns. The third pilot was killed quickly in an instant when Hangman was able to successfully fire a missile at him while he was distracted trying to make the final killing blow to Maverick and Rooster.
- In real life, it is highly impossible for an F-14 Tomcat to dogfight or engage a Su-57 Felon, since the Felon is more advanced and highly technological since it would just destroy an F-14 instantly either with its missiles or guns. However, the Su-57 could have a few weak points like being destroyed by an F-18 from behind if it’s distracted getting a lock on another fighter. Although it could still be debated to be unrealistic since the movie is able to defy real physics for cinematic purposes and for plot armor.