Clan Vizsla

Clan Vizsla functioned as a prominent Mandalorian clan that held the position of the leading clan within House Vizsla, a notable political faction in Mandalorian society and government.

The clan's age-old symbol featured a stylized image of a shriek-hawk, referred to as jai'galaar in Mando'a. Over time, the Vizsla shriek-hawk became the adopted emblem of the entire Death Watch faction. By the era of the Galactic Civil War, Vizsla warriors embellished their armor with a distinctive emblem depicting a flowered branch. Clan Vizsla maintained a state of rivalry with Clan Tal.

Clan Vizsla's origins predate the establishment of the modern Galactic Republic. During this earlier period, Tarre Vizsla was welcomed into the ranks of the Jedi Order, marking the first instance of a Mandalorian achieving such a distinction. As a Jedi, Tarre crafted the Darksaber, an exceptional black lightsaber that evolved into the symbol of leadership for House Vizsla. In time, Tarre rose to the position of Mand'alor, guiding his fellow Mandalorians. Following Tarre's passing, the saber was safeguarded within the Jedi Temple until members of House Vizsla infiltrated the temple and reclaimed it during the fall of the Old Republic. House Vizsla's members then employed the Darksaber to unite their people and vanquish their adversaries, briefly establishing their dominion over all of Mandalore. During this period, the Darksaber was responsible for the deaths of numerous Jedi.

Some years subsequent to the conclusion of the Mandalorian Civil War, Mandalorian warriors faced exile to the moon of Concordia, with many presuming their extinction. However, the survivors regrouped in secret under the leadership of Tarre Vizsla's descendant, Pre Vizsla, who held the position of Concordia's governor, and became known as the Death Watch. Throughout the Clone Wars, Death Watch stood in opposition to the pacifistic New Mandalorian government and its leader, Duchess Satine Kryze. Death Watch held the belief that Duchess Satine's rule was weak and undermined Mandalorian traditions and their reputation as formidable warriors.

Early in the Clone Wars, Pre Vizsla and Death Watch forged an alliance with Sith Lord Count Dooku, who led the Confederacy of Independent Systems in their conflict against the Galactic Republic. Following a bombing at the Memorial Shrine in Sundari, Mandalore's capital, and the subsequent fight on Concordia, Pre Vizsla and his organization faced exposure and were forced to retreat. After an unsuccessful attempt to abduct Duchess Satine aboard the Coronet by Mandalorian Prince and Senator Tal Merrik on behalf of Death Watch, Duchess Satine successfully presented her case to the Galactic Senate to uphold her planet's neutrality in the Clone Wars.

Collaborating with the Confederacy, Death Watch and Pre Vizsla plotted to engineer a Republic occupation of Mandalore, with the intention of Pre Vizsla and Death Watch then stepping in to liberate the population and seize power from Duchess Satine. However, the coup ultimately failed when Duchess Satine successfully convinced the Senate of Mandalore's position.

Following the failed coup, Pre Vizsla and Dooku engaged in a confrontation that led to Death Watch severing ties with the Confederacy. Eventually, Death Watch was located on Carlac, where they subjugated the local Ming Po population and formed an alliance with Lux Bonteri to assassinate Dooku. Unbeknownst to them, Jedi Padawan Ahsoka Tano, who was with Bonteri, was revealed as a Jedi, and following a skirmish on Carlac, Tano and Bonteri escaped Death Watch and Pre Vizsla.

In 19 BBY, Pre Vizsla and Death Watch discovered an escape pod containing the rogue Sith Lord Maul and his brother, the Sith apprentice Savage Opress. Intrigued by their situation, Pre decided to rescue them and bring them to Zanbar. After the two recovered, they agreed to an alliance to overthrow Duchess Satine and seek vengeance against Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. Pre Vizsla and his Death Watch forces, alongside Maul and Opress, journeyed to Mustafar and recruited the Black Sun after eliminating their ruling council. The Pyke Syndicate also joined their cause after learning of their plan to assemble an army. Eventually, following a mission to Nal Hutta and an attack on Jabba's Palace, the Hutt Cartel aligned themselves with Pre Vizsla and the others, forming the Shadow Collective.

With an army and the necessary resources to sustain a war without attracting the attention of the Galactic Republic, Maul revealed to Pre Vizsla that once Mandalore was under Vizsla's control, Maul would establish a new criminal underworld. Frustrated, Pre Vizsla countered that Mandalore was the leader of the Council of Neutral Systems, which comprised 1,500 worlds, thus offering greater opportunities. Satisfied, Maul then instructed Vizsla to dispatch scouts to Mandalore to identify targets crucial to Mandalore's security. Bo-Katan Kryze, Pre Vizsla's top lieutenant, voiced her concerns about trusting Maul and Opress, but Vizsla assured her that Maul and Savage would meet their end alongside Duchess Satine.

Vizsla's advance guard identified their targets, enabling Maul and the Shadow Collective to formulate their strategy. The crime syndicates launched attacks on key targets, and, as planned, members of Death Watch apprehended them, gaining the favor of the people. Duchess Satine was subsequently captured and removed from power by Vizsla and his forces, who then proclaimed himself Prime Minister and Mand'alor.

Subsequently, he betrayed and imprisoned Maul and Opress. However, they managed to free themselves and enlist former Prime Minister Almec into their ranks. Following this, Maul challenged Vizsla for leadership of Mandalore and Death Watch, ultimately defeating the Mandalorian and beheading him. Bo-Katan and other Death Watch members refused to acknowledge Maul's leadership and fled, establishing the Mandalore resistance, which ignited another Mandalorian civil war.

Eventually, the Galactic Republic invaded Mandalore, leading to Maul's removal from power. Bo-Katan was appointed as Regent of the planet as the Republic transitioned into the Galactic Empire.

Lady Regent Bo-Katan Kryze was ousted from her position by the Empire during its occupation of Mandalore. Almost two decades after the Clone Wars' end, yet another civil war erupted when Imperial Viceroy Gar Saxon of Clan Saxon was slain in a skirmish on Krownest against Clan Wren. Following a mission to Mandalore by members of Clan Wren and Clan Kryze, Governor Tiber Saxon was killed. Bo-Katan then became the new Mand'alor, securing support from Clan Vizsla, Clan Rook, Clan Eldar, the Journeyman Protectors, Clan Wren, and other factions.

Paz Vizsla, along with his son Ragnar, were members of the Mandalorian group known as the Children of the Watch, belonging to Clan Vizsla and tracing their lineage back to Tarre Vizsla. Upon discovering that Din Djarin had acquired the Darksaber, he challenged him to a duel on Glavis Ringworld in an attempt to claim it. Although Vizsla briefly gained possession of the saber, Djarin ultimately prevailed by subduing him and holding a vibro-knife to his throat.

Paz Vizsla was later reunited with his son on a planet. There, Ragnar underwent the Mandalorian initiation ritual and received a helmet. However, the ritual was disrupted by a lake monster. Later, during an Imperial attack on Mandalore, Vizsla sacrificed himself to ensure the escape of his fellow Mandalorians.

In the seventh episode of Star Wars Rebels' third season, titled "Imperial Supercommandos," Fenn Rau mistakenly identified Sabine Wren and Gar Saxon as Clan Vizsla. This error was repeated in Gar Saxon's Databank entry on the official Star Wars website. On November 7, 2016, Lucasfilm Story Group's Pablo Hidalgo clarified that Fenn Rau should have referred to them as "House Vizsla."