3 Iconic ‘Top Gun’ Iceman Moments in Memory of Val Kilmer

Val Kilmer fans are looking back on some of the actor’s most iconic character moments after his death due to pneumonia Tuesday at the age of 65.

Kilmer’s Top Gun character Tom “Iceman” Kazansky may be his most well-known, as the actor expertly portrayed the cocky fighter pilot that played antagonist to Tom Cruise’s Pete “Maverick” Mitchell in the original 1986 film.

Read on to look back at Iceman’s most iconic moments in the Top Gun franchise.

“You’re Dangerous”

It didn’t take long for Iceman’s distaste for the freewheeling Maverick and his best friend Nick “Goose” Bradshaw (Anthony Edwards) to become evident.

“You two really are cowboys,” Iceman says in the film’s memorable locker room scene. When Maverick asks what his problem is, Iceman responds simply, “You’re everyone’s problem. That’s because every time you go up in the air, you’re unsafe.”

As the two pilots face off, Kilmer’s Iceman tells his rival, “I don’t like you because you’re dangerous,” to which Maverick responds, “That’s right! Ice… man. I am dangerous.”

“You Can Be My Wingman Anytime”

Despite Iceman and Maverick’s tense relationship throughout Top Gun, Maverick’s skill in the cockpit ends up saving his former foe during their first official mission together.

After landing safely, Iceman conveys his respect at last to his fellow pilot, telling him, “You are still dangerous. But you can be my wingman anytime.” In return, Maverick assures him, “Bullshit! You can be mine.”

“That’s Why I Fought For You”

Kilmer’s decision to reprise his role as Iceman in the 2022 sequel Top Gun: Maverick was a difficult one, as the actor’s throat cancer battle had impacted his speaking voice.

The hurdles the actor faced to return to the Top Gun franchise only made his character’s on-screen reunion with Cruise’s Maverick even more special, as Iceman (now Admiral Kazansky) speaks with his longtime wingman largely via keyboard.

As the scene between the two men grows more emotional, Iceman abandons his keyboard to speak, telling Maverick, “The Navy needs Maverick. The kid needs Maverick. That’s why I fought for you. That’s why you’re still here.”

The emotion of the moving moment is then undercut when Iceman asks Maverick as he leaves, “One last thing, who’s the better pilot, you or me?” as his former nemesis jokes, “This is a nice moment, let’s not ruin it.”