Pre Vizsla

Biography

Early life

Pre Vizsla, a member of Clan Vizsla, a Mandalorian family associated with House Vizsla, was born on Mandalore, his people's homeworld located in the Outer Rim Territories of the galaxy. Vizsla descended from Tarre Vizsla, the ancient Mand'alor who founded House Vizsla and created the Darksaber, a distinctive black-bladed lightsaber symbolizing House Vizsla. As a member of the once-powerful Vizsla clan, Pre Vizsla deeply embraced the Mandalorian warrior tradition, admiring his people's history of warfare and inheriting the Darksaber. While Vizsla took pride in his people's traditions, the warrior culture he revered was considered outdated by 42 BBY, when Mandalore faced an identity crisis and uncertainty about its future. As Mandalore's natural environment and biodiversity declined due to advanced and destructive warfare, numerous Mandalorians began advocating for reforms to their way of life to ensure their survival.

The New Mandalorians, led by the young activist Satine Kryze, who was the daughter of Adonai Kryze, the respected Duke of House Kryze, which had been considered the Mandalorian royal family despite not being in power, answered the call for societal reform. The growing influence of the New Mandalorians posed a threat to the martial traditionalists who controlled Mandalore, leading to the outbreak of the Mandalorian Civil War between the two factions to determine the future of their world. Although Pre Vizsla had little regard for Adonai Kryze's daughter, he respected the duke, who died defending Mandalore during the brutal war. Upon Adonai's death, Satine inherited his titles and position as the technical ruler of Mandalore, further fueling Vizsla's resentment, as he believed she was unworthy to succeed her father. He believed that Satine's pacifism tarnished Adonai's warrior reputation. The Mandalorian Civil War eventually concluded with the New Mandalorians and Duchess Satine in power, and the warrior culture Vizsla cherished seemed threatened with extinction.

Forming the Death Watch

Following the civil war, Duchess Kryze implemented reconstruction policies that led to the fragmentation of the remaining martial traditionalists. Some, known as the "Old Mandalorians," accepted their defeat by the New Mandalorians and dispersed throughout the galaxy, while the rest were exiled to Concordia, a moon. On Concordia, these violent groups engaged in infighting, leading the New Mandalorian government to believe they had died out. Secretly, Vizsla united the exiled warriors into the Death Watch, a clandestine group of commandos determined to overthrow the New Mandalorians and restore the Mandalorian warrior culture to its former glory. Utilizing Concordia's defunct mines, the Death Watch established a base of operations, using the mining facilities to manufacture new armor and weaponry. Despite transforming the Death Watch into a well-trained and equipped militia, Vizsla recognized that his forces could not retake Mandalore alone and instead developed long-term plans.

To conceal his involvement with the Death Watch, Vizsla, already a skilled statesman, publicly pledged allegiance to Kryze and was appointed as the Governorship of Concordia, which was legally considered a semi-autonomous province. As the Governor of Concordia, Vizsla became a trusted ally of Duchess Satine. Despite his deep hatred for the woman, Vizsla maintained a facade of loyalty and upheld appearances whenever he was with her as part of his official duties. As Governor, Vizsla pretended to track down the remnants of the Death Watch on Concordia. However, in his secret life, he slowly took steps to undermine her rule. Although Kryze's reforms were popular and generally supported, some Mandalorians continued to cling to their traditions in thought if not in deed, and the Death Watch sought to gain support from these individuals throughout the Mandalore sector. Vizsla used fear propaganda to recruit more members to their cause and vandalized public spaces in Sundari, the New Mandalorian capital, to make Death Watch's presence known, but these tactics had limited success in swaying public opinion against the duchess.

Bo-Katan Kryze, Duchess Satine's sister, was among those recruited to Death Watch by Vizsla. She believed in embracing Mandalore's warrior past and was thus estranged from her pacifist sister. A formidable soldier, Bo-Katan was loyal to Vizsla and became his trusted lieutenant. Due to Bo-Katan's numerous skills and loyal service, she was placed in command of the Nite Owls, an elite team of female soldiers who carried out missions for Vizsla and the Death Watch. While secretly awaiting the opportune moment to strike and overthrow Satine's rule, Vizsla and the Death Watch worked as mercenaries and established smaller bases throughout the galaxy. Refusing to acknowledge the New Mandalorians' rule, Vizsla believed he was upholding the tradition of the Mand'alor, a title sometimes used by Mandalorian rulers of old, including his ancestor Tarre Vizsla. Claiming the position of the "one ruler" for himself, Vizsla wielded the revered Darksaber as a symbol of his leadership.

Plot to overthrow the Duchess

A galaxy at war

In 22 BBY, when the [Galactic Republic](/article/galactic_republic], the dominant galactic government, entered the Clone Wars against its breakaway state, the Confederacy of Independent Systems, Vizsla saw an opportunity to overthrow the New Mandalorian regime. Although the Republic had long maintained treaties with Mandalore and supported Duchess Satine during the Mandalorian Civil War, Kryze announced that Mandalore would remain neutral during the Clone Wars, refusing to align with either the Republic or the Separatists. Vizsla already opposed the Republic, given Mandalore's long history of warfare against both the Republic and the Jedi, followers of the Jedi Order who had become aligned with the government due to political instability and social unrest. However, Kryze's vocal neutrality, which included the establishment of the Council of Neutral Systems, strained relations between Mandalore and the Republic. Recognizing Vizsla's potential value in his war against the Republic, Dooku, the Confederate Head of State, formed an alliance with Vizsla and helped supply the Death Watch, earning their loyalty in exchange for help in overthrowing Satine.

With Dooku's crucial support, the Death Watch evolved into a military force capable of seriously threatening the New Mandalorians' power and established secret bases throughout the galaxy, including Vizsla Keep 09, an outpost hidden in the rings of Phelbos. As the Death Watch grew, so did their activity, attracting the attention of Kryze and her administration. Still unaware of his treachery, the duchess assigned Vizsla and several of her closest advisors, including Almec, the Prime Minister, and Tal Merrik, who represented Kalevala in the Republic Senate, to investigate and eliminate the Death Watch. Using this authority, Vizsla continued to conceal his organization's actions and recruited Merrik to his cause. Despite being one of Satine's oldest friends, Merrik was greedy, had his own dubious political ambitions, and harbored some sympathy for the Death Watch, making it easy for him to betray her.

Due to Mandalore's strategic location in the galaxy, both the Republic and the Confederacy considered the Mandalore sector a valuable asset in their war strategies. Republic military leaders particularly coveted Mandalore because of its position between Coruscant, the Republic capital, and the Outer Rim along the Hydian Way hyperlane, but they were forced to refrain from seriously considering the planet as a viable staging ground due to opposition from Kryze and the Mandalorian people. Vizsla and Dooku conspired to exploit this volatile situation, devising a plan to remove Kryze by provoking a Republic occupation of Mandalore, which the Death Watch would resist with Separatist aid. If Vizsla and Dooku's plan succeeded, the Mandalorian populace would turn against both Kryze and the Republic occupiers, allowing Vizsla and the Death Watch to act as liberators and gain acceptance as their new leaders, granting him the power to undo Satine's reforms and restore Mandalore to its historic roots.

The Death Watch increased its visibility with more frequent attacks on Mandalore, prompting Kryze and her fellow leaders to downplay and minimize their growing influence in public. Because much of his plan to force a Republic occupation of Mandalore depended on Republic leadership believing Kryze's regime was unable to protect itself, the Death Watch escalated its terrorist activity and began targeting Republic ships attempting to establish a presence in the sector. In 21 BBY, one saboteur launched a solo attack on a Republic cruiser located in a shipyard, but the terrorist was discovered and forced to engage the Republic soldiers before choosing to take his own life to avoid questioning. Holographic footage of the Mandalorian, wearing his people's signature armor, reached Republic leadership. Coupled with the New Mandalorians' opposition to a Republic presence on Mandalore and previous Death Watch attacks on their ships, rumors began circulating that Kryze was building an army for the Confederacy.

Allegiances revealed

As a result of the rumors that Duchess Satine was building an army for the Confederacy, the Jedi High Council sent Obi-Wan Kenobi, a Jedi Master, to Mandalore to speak with the New Mandalorian leadership and investigate. Concerned that Kenobi's arrival would disrupt their plans, Vizsla contacted Count Dooku from one of the Death Watch camps on Concordia. To Vizsla's initial dismay, Dooku was unconcerned by Kenobi's presence and reassured him that the Republic intervention, though earlier than planned, would still lead to the desired outcome. Shortly after, a Death Watch bomber carried out an attack on the Memorial Shrine in Peace Park, a frequent target of vandalism by the Death Watch due to its status as one of Kryze's favorite locations in Sundari. The bombing severely damaged the shrine and caught those in Peace Park, including Kryze and Kenobi, by surprise.

Because Kryze was present at Peace Park during the bombing, Kenobi and her royal guard, the Mandalorian Protectors, were able to respond immediately. Frightened, the Death Watch bomber attempted to flee, only to commit suicide when cornered by Kenobi. As Kryze comforted the dying man, he spoke to her in Concordian, leading her to realize that he was native to Concordia. Kenobi requested a visit to Concordia as part of his investigation, and Kryze scheduled a meeting with Vizsla. Accepting her proposal, Vizsla, assuming his persona as Governor of Concordia, awaited Kryze and Kenobi, who traveled on the shuttle transporting the bomber's corpse. Vizsla welcomed the duchess upon their arrival at the government complex, and Satine introduced him to Master Kenobi. As Vizsla and Kenobi nodded at one another, Kryze told the latter that Vizsla had been a leading member of her official investigation into the activities of the Death Watch.

Vizsla rhetorically asked Kenobi if he had heard the rumors regarding Kryze, and Obi-Wan responded that he only sought to learn the truth. Seeing Kryze's Protectors escorting the receptacle containing the bomber's remains, Vizsla asked if it was indeed the man who had bombed the Memorial Shrine. Kenobi confirmed that he was and informed Vizsla that the man had apparently been affiliated with the Death Watch, at which Vizsla feigned concern. Telling Kenobi that he had to attend to the body, Vizsla bid the Jedi farewell before joining the Protectors with the coffin. Though Kryze began to follow, she was stopped by Kenobi, who distrusted Vizsla and left the city to investigate Concordia's defunct mines, which Kryze had told him about beforehand. Meanwhile, Vizsla went to his dining room to write a condolence letter to the dead man's family and arrange for them to retrieve the body.

Kryze joined Vizsla in the dining room and explained Kenobi's absence by lying that he had gone to meditate. As Satine explained the situation she was in, Vizsla prepared drinks for themselves. She told him that she suspected someone was feeding misinformation directly to the Republic Senate, and asked who would gain anything from such lies. Vizsla replied that it had to be the Death Watch, but Kryze refuted him and stated that the Death Watch was incapable of engineering such political intrigue without help from an external force. Recognizing that her suspicions were correct, Vizsla commented that it was hard to believe, given that it could only have been someone among the highest influence in the Separatists. Satine asked why they would target her, and Vizsla explained that she threatened the Separatists' goals as the leader of the Council of Neutral Systems. He joked that she should take the campaigns against her as a compliment since it meant someone powerful was seeking her downfall.

Meanwhile, Kenobi was discovered while exploring the mines by a pair of Death Watch soldiers, who confiscated his lightsaber and took him captive, suspending him on the functional conveyor belts. Back in his residence, Vizsla suggested that he and Kryze begin their planned dinner without Kenobi and offered her another drink. Using an earpiece he had given to her, Kenobi contacted Duchess Satine and updated her on the situation. Needing to leave the governor's residence and rescue the Jedi without alerting Vizsla, Kryze covertly but awkwardly responded to Kenobi. Acting confused by her odd behavior, Vizsla asked if the duchess was unwell. Satine stood to leave to get some fresh air, and Vizsla offered to escort her outside but was turned down. After Kryze left the residence and journeyed to the mines on a speeder, Vizsla left as well and went to his camp so he could deal with Kenobi and Kryze himself, even though it would reveal his true allegiance.

Wearing his armor and wielding Kenobi's lightsaber, Vizsla and his soldiers went to confront Satine and the rescued Obi-Wan, who had attempted to flee the mine only to end up in the Death Watch's base. As they walked towards Kryze and Kenobi, who were hiding behind a boulder, Vizsla executed one of the warriors defeated by the Jedi. Once within sight of his two enemies, Vizsla removed his helmet and proclaimed that Duchess Satine had tarnished the name of the Mandalorians, then tossed Kenobi his lightsaber and challenged him to defend her. Drawing the Darksaber, Vizsla briefly explained some of its history before striking. Though confident that he could best the Jedi Master, Vizsla was quickly proven to be no match and was forced onto the back foot, first by a Force push that sent him hurling backward and then with a kick that knocked the Darksaber out of his grip. Vizsla continued his assault on Kenobi until forcing him to the ground, giving him a chance to retrieve the Darksaber.

While Kenobi was still down, Vizsla used his jetpack to leap into the air, prepared to deliver a killing blow. Kenobi, however, jumped into the air to intercept Vizsla, battering the Mandalorian to the ground. Defeated, Vizsla ordered the three soldiers accompanying him to finish Obi-Wan. The warriors fired missiles from their jetpacks, but Kenobi and Kryze were able to evade them and jump down a mineshaft. Vizsla's soldiers inspected the damage and found that Satine and Obi-Wan had escaped. One soldier asked if Vizsla wanted them to go after them, but Vizsla, knowing they didn't have the time to spare, denied their request but affirmed that they would catch up to the duchess soon enough. With his true allegiance revealed and part of his base located, Vizsla and his Death Watch fled to another one of their encampments on Concordia. With aid from Tal Merrik, who was still a useful asset inside Kryze's administration, however, the New Mandalorian government's investigation was temporarily paused.

Failure and fallout

As Dooku had predicted, Kenobi's involvement in the conflict between the Death Watch and the New Mandalorians spurred renewed Republic interest in occupying Mandalore. Believing that the Death Watch posed a threat to Mandalore, the Galactic Senate opened deliberations on launching an occupation of the planet to protect its citizens from the terrorist sect. Though Dooku and Vizsla's plan was on track, Duchess Satine sought to advocate for her planet's neutrality before the Senate in person. To prevent Kryze from speaking before the legislature and to further undermine her leadership, Vizsla conspired with Senator Merrik to assassinate the duchess while she was en route to Coruscant on her diplomatic spaceliner, the Coronet, on which Merrik would be present. Vizsla provided Merrik with numerous Confederate SD-K4 assassin droids, which Merrik smuggled onto the Coronet in containers marked with the Seal of the Senate. As a backup plan if the assassination attempts failed, Merrik wired the ship's engines and was prepared to take Kryze hostage.

Due to the presence of Republic soldiers, including Master Kenobi, requested by Kryze's court, the assassin probes were located and defeated before they could kill the duchess. When given the chance in the ensuing chaos, Merrik took Satine hostage and murdered the Coronet's crew, after which he contacted Vizsla. Vizsla asked him if he had completed his mission, and Merrik responded that he had successfully taken Kryze hostage but needed help getting her away. To aid Merrik's escape, Vizsla sent three Droch-class boarding ships, each carrying numerous Separatist B2-series super battle droids, which latched onto the Coronet and deployed their forces. Despite assistance from Vizsla, Merrik was cornered by Kenobi while attempting to flee. He prepared to detonate the Coronet's engines and kill everyone on board but was slain by Anakin Skywalker, Jedi Knight and Kenobi's colleague, before he could do so. Because of Merrik's failure to complete his assignment, Kryze was able to arrive on Coruscant safely.

Vizsla, undeterred by Merrik's failure, moved forward with his schemes at Dooku's urging. He gathered a Death Watch army on Concordia to prepare for the Mandalore takeover. Observing his troops' eagerness for combat, Vizsla reached out to Dooku, who reiterated that the Death Watch should hold back until the Republic initiated the occupation. Though Dooku felt confident about the Republic's intervention, he instructed Vizsla to dispatch an assassin to Coruscant. The target was Duchess Satine, who had started advocating for her people in the Senate. This assassination served as a safeguard. Concurrently, the Death Watch bombed Kryze's home planet, Kalevala, resulting in the death of Deputy Minister Jerec, who had testified in the Senate in support of the duchess. Unknown to Kryze, Jerec's testimony had been altered by Republic agents to Vizsla and Dooku's advantage. Furthermore, Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine, a supporter of the occupation, concealed his involvement in Jerec's case and death from Kryze, which hindered her efforts.

As Kryze addressed the Senate, Vizsla's assassin sabotaged her transport by wiring it to malfunction. The speeder's engines failed as the duchess departed the Senate, but her Protectors managed to extract her before the vehicle crashed. This incident further highlighted the Death Watch's threat, prompting the Republic Senate to proceed with the occupation. Kryze was then forced to explore alternative strategies. The Death Watch assassin trailed her as she secretly met with an ally, Davu Golec from the Republic Ministry of Intelligence, to obtain an unaltered version of Jerec's testimony. The assassin successfully eliminated Golec but failed to kill Kryze, as she was spotted by Coruscant police and suspected of the murder. Unable to present Jerec's message without facing arrest, Kryze sought assistance from Master Kenobi, who shielded her from the assassin's final attempt on her life. Kenobi presented Jerec's testimony to Kryze's allies in the Senate, who then presented it before the congress.

Due to the new evidence presented, the Senate reversed its decision to approve the occupation of Mandalore, and the Republic Military abandoned its preparations. Meanwhile, Mandalorian Guard scouts located the Death Watch base on Concordia and reported it to Prime Minister Almec, leading Vizsla to order his troops to stand down. Enraged by these events, he confronted Dooku via hologram. Vizsla berated Dooku for failing to deliver on his promise, declaring that he would order his soldiers to attack Mandalore regardless. Dooku promptly dismissed Vizsla, asserting that he could only hold Mandalore for a single day and that his revolution would fail without the support of the Mandalorian people or the Confederacy. Dooku, remarking that a "neophyte" like Vizsla wouldn't understand, informed him that he had alternative methods to achieve their goals, and Vizsla resentfully accepted Dooku's lecture.

Following their failed Mandalore takeover, Vizsla met with Dooku in person. The meeting turned hostile, culminating in Dooku scarring Vizsla's cheek with his lightsaber, which he referred to as a "parting gift." Bitterly parting ways with Dooku while vowing revenge, Vizsla and the Death Watch were forced into a nomadic existence after fleeing Concordia. Their once-disciplined army began to fall apart. They eventually established a base on the planet Carlac, where the Death Watch devolved into a ruthless gang of outlaws. On Carlac, Vizsla and his followers terrorized the native Ming Po, a trusting population of humans living in rustic villages. Their dishonorable acts included kidnapping several Ming Po women and forcing them into servitude at their camp. Vizsla's mental state deteriorated due to his failure to retake Mandalore, the decline of the Death Watch, and his deep-seated resentment towards Duchess Satine, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Count Dooku.

Interim on Carlac

In 20 BBY, as his plans for revenge against Dooku stagnated, Vizsla was contacted by Lux Bonteri, the son of the late Mina Bonteri, a member of the Separatist Parliament until her death the previous year. Although the Confederacy claimed she died in a Republic attack, rumors and spy intelligence led Lux to believe that Dooku had ordered her murder for supporting a peace initiative. Driven by a desire to kill Dooku, Bonteri offered the Death Watch information on Dooku's location, obtained through a holotrace device. By accusing Dooku of murdering his mother at a peace conference between Confederate and Republic diplomats, moderated by Duchess Satine in Sundari, Bonteri was brought before Dooku via hologram and gathered the necessary information for Vizsla. After escaping Mandalore with assistance from a friend, Ahsoka Tano, and her droid, R2-D2, Bonteri departed to meet with Vizsla on Carlac.

Upon Bonteri and his companion's arrival on Carlac, Vizsla dispatched Bo-Katan Kryze and a small group of warriors to escort them to the Death Watch camp. Bo-Katan led Bonteri and Tano, who claimed to be his betrothed, to Vizsla's empty tent and then left to inform Vizsla of their arrival. As Vizsla entered the makeshift tent, he interrupted Bonteri and Tano in an embrace and sarcastically questioned if he was intruding. He abruptly instructed Bonteri to discuss business and ordered him to send Tano away, which the young man complied with. After Bo-Katan escorted Tano out of the tent, Vizsla sat down and demanded Bonteri's information about Dooku. Bonteri replied that he would only provide it if he was certain Vizsla would use it for the right reasons. Vizsla warned his guest not to test him. Pointing to the scar on his face, Vizsla threatened to give Bonteri a similar one if he questioned his resolve to kill Dooku again. Heeding Vizsla's warning, Bonteri handed over the holotrace device.

Vizsla called for a feast to celebrate his new alliance with Bonteri and the acquisition of the holo-trace device. One of his soldiers relayed his orders to the enslaved Ming Po women, now joined by Tano. As his followers feasted, Vizsla sat with Bonteri. Noticing Tano serving food to Bonteri, Vizsla remarked that she was adapting well to the other women and inquired how Bonteri would fit in with the Death Watch. Bonteri replied that his only desire was Dooku's death. Before Vizsla could respond, Chieftain Pieter of Ming Po Town entered the tent with two other Ming Po. Pieter, the leader of the largest Ming Po settlement that had been brutally oppressed by the Death Watch, and whose granddaughter was among Vizsla's enslaved, angrily declared that the Death Watch was no longer welcome on Carlac. Vizsla told the chieftain that he was bold to enter Death Watch territory with such words, and sarcastically responded that he and the Death Watch would prepare to leave since they were no longer welcome.

Taking Vizsla's mockery seriously, Pieter asked if he would return the enslaved Ming Po. Vizsla replied that he would return them at sunrise the next day, which was enough to convince Pieter to leave. As promised, Vizsla and his followers, accompanied by Bonteri and Tano, drove into the center of Ming Po Town the following morning to return Pieter's people. Pieter thanked Vizsla for keeping his word, but his sincere thanks were interrupted by Bo-Katan and her Nite Owls, who landed on the nearby rooftops as Vizsla grabbed Pieter's granddaughter, Tryla, by the arm and dragged her before her grandfather. Telling Pieter that he was a man of his word, Vizsla drew the Darksaber and impaled Tryla, then ordered his warriors to slaughter the townspeople. The Death Watch set various buildings on fire as the Ming Po retreated, causing a frightened Bonteri to ask Vizsla what he was doing. Wrapping his arm around Bonteri, Vizsla heartily told him not to let the weak tell him what to do and welcomed the young man to Death Watch.

When the soldiers on the rooftops set their flamethrowers on the scattered Ming Po, Tano used the Force to pull a metal pipe towards herself and impaled one warrior with it before attacking two more with another. Realizing that Tano was a Jedi, Vizsla attempted to strike her with the Darksaber. Though she was able to avoid Vizsla's swings, Tano was quickly grappled to the ground by four soldiers with their whipcords. Vizsla ordered his men to take Tano back to their camp and had Bonteri taken captive as well. Back at the Death Watch base, Vizsla confronted Bonteri for bringing a Jedi into their presence despite being invited to join the Death Watch in good faith. Bonteri told Vizsla that Tano was not meant to have joined him on Carlac and asked him to let her go, but Vizsla responded that releasing her was not an option. Bonteri accused the Death Watch of lacking honor and told Vizsla that they were nothing more than murderers.

Vizsla pointed out that Bonteri was hypocritical since he had sought the Death Watch out for the purpose of killing Dooku. Bonteri countered that he only wanted justice for his mother's death. Vizsla told him that he would still have it, but added that the Jedi were no different than Dooku and that Tano would pay in part for the Jedi's crimes against Mandalore. As he prepared to deliver a killing blow to Tano with the Darksaber, Vizsla was distracted by R2-D2, who entered the tent and began emitting smoke, giving Bonteri a chance to break free from the soldier holding him and ram into Vizsla. R2-D2 gave Tano her lightsabers, and she swiftly cut herself free from the whipcords and beheaded four of Vizsla's men. Bo-Katan and several others stepped forward to fight her, but Vizsla held them back so he could fight Tano himself. Igniting the Darksaber once more, Vizsla and Tano entered an intense duel as his followers watched. Forcing her back towards the tent's opening, Vizsla managed to kick her out onto the snow.

When he followed, however, Vizsla was met by the sight of the Death Watch's monster droids, repaired by R2-D2 and ready to take revenge against the Mandalorians for their abuse. As his followers dealt with the droids, Vizsla placed his focus on Tano. Re-engaging Tano, Vizsla continued to cross sabers with her but was evenly matched. She managed to gain the upper hand with her acrobatics, which allowed her to slice into Vizsla's jetpack. Upon realizing that she had struck his jetpack, Vizsla quickly removed his gear and ran to escape the ensuing explosion, during which Tano, Bonteri, and R2-D2 boarded one of Death Watch's speeders and fled the camp. Seething and unable to follow them himself, Vizsla ordered Bo-Katan and several other warriors to stop them from escaping. Despite Bo-Katan's tenacious pursuit and a short fistfight with Tano, the trio managed to escape aboard their ship and leave Vizsla and Carlac behind.

A second chance

Enter Maul

By the beginning of 19 BBY, Vizsla and the Death Watch had abandoned Carlac and relocated to the swamp moon Zanbar. On Zanbar, they established a similar camp for temporary use, returning to their roots and revisiting their ambition to remove the New Mandalorians from power and restore their people's warmongering past. After languishing in self-imposed exile from Mandalore space for over a year, Vizsla and his comrades began exploring the vicinity of their new base. During one of these routine expeditions, Vizsla's fortunes changed. While exploring with Bo-Katan and several other soldiers, he discovered a lost escape pod, adrift and without power in deep space. After boarding the pod with Bo-Katan and two others, Vizsla used the Darksaber to cut into the cockpit, where they found two severely wounded Zabrak, both near-unconscious and covered in frost due to the power loss.

While examining one of the Zabrak, Vizsla noticed a lightsaber near his feet and picked it up. Bo-Katan suggested killing the two, but Vizsla refused and ordered his followers to take them aboard one of the Mandalorians' Kom'rk-class transports to hear their story, believing they might be enemies of the Jedi. Unbeknownst to Vizsla, he had discovered the renegade Sith Lords Maul and Savage Opress, who had recently engaged in a chaotic spree across the galaxy that led to an encounter with Obi-Wan Kenobi, resulting in their pod drifting in space. As the three Kom'rk fighters returned to Zanbar, Vizsla glanced at the two Zabrak as one, Maul, briefly regained consciousness. Once his ships had landed, he had Maul and Opress brought into the camp's medical tent, where Maul's damaged mechanical legs were replaced. Shortly after Maul woke and his legs were installed, Vizsla and Bo-Katan entered the tent to interrogate him.

Recognizing that Maul and Savage were not Jedi, Vizsla asked the former what they were. Maul snarled but relented and identified them as Sith when Bo-Katan aimed a blaster at the still-unconscious Opress. Upon learning they were Sith, Vizsla asked if they served Count Dooku, which Maul immediately denied. Vizsla remarked that he believed there could only be two Sith, a master and an apprentice, and Maul informed him that he and his brother believed themselves to be the true Lords of the Sith. Intrigued, Vizsla continued his questioning and asked what had happened to their ship. Maul replied that Kenobi had destroyed it. Vizsla then turned to Bo-Katan and nodded. Vizsla asked what he and his brother sought, and Maul told him that he wanted fortune and power. Satisfied with this information, Vizsla ordered his medical droids to finish repairing Maul's legs and to do what they could for Savage, whose arm had been severed in their confrontation by Kenobi, then left.

After Maul's cybernetic legs were completed, Vizsla sent one of his underlings to bring the Sith to a tent containing a makeshift dining table. When Maul entered the tent, Vizsla removed his helmet and told him that he was there in time for tea. Vizsla invited Maul to sit with him and poured him a cup of Cassius tea. Maul noticed the marking on Vizsla's helmet and inquired what it represented, and Vizsla responded that it was the sign of Clan Vizsla, then proceeded to introduce himself. Rising from his seat, Vizsla began proselytizing about the Death Watch, telling Maul that he and his followers were descendants of the true warrior faith of the Mandalorians. Growing angry as he described his hatred of Duchess Satine and the New Mandalorians, Vizsla slammed his helmet onto a table and informed Maul that the Death Watch's struggle was with Kryze's administration for crushing the Mandalorian soul and identity. Maul asked Vizsla why he waited to oust the New Mandalorians if they were as weak as he described, and Vizsla answered that it was because Kryze had allies such as Kenobi.

Vizsla noticed that Maul became irritated by the mention of Kenobi and remarked that he believed fortune had brought them together. Maul agreed and stated that it had been the will of the Force and told Vizsla that he and his brother would help the Death Watch reclaim Mandalore, and Vizsla promised they would destroy Kenobi in kind. Though Vizsla was excited by his new ally, Bo-Katan stepped forward and reminded him that their previous alliances with the Sith had ended poorly. When she told Vizsla that the Sith were no better or more powerful than the Jedi, Maul used the Force to choke her and informed Vizsla that doubt would only lead him to failure. Vizsla's soldiers aimed their blasters at Maul, but Vizsla ordered them to hold back. Staring at Vizsla, Maul loudly stated that the combined strength of the Sith and Death Watch would reward them: Mandalore would belong to the Death Watch, and Kryze, Kenobi, Dooku, and any other enemies would fall.

After ending his brief declamation, Maul released Bo-Katan, and Vizsla told him to check in on his brother while his soldiers voted on the proposal. When the Sith left, Vizsla and Bo-Katan smiled at each other in delight. As Maul spoke about what had transpired between him and Vizsla with Savage, who had been outfitted with a poorly-crafted mechanical arm, Vizsla and his followers voted to agree to an alliance with the two Sith. Vizsla and Bo-Katan went to speak with them in the medical tent, where they saw that Opress had destroyed two medical droids when he awoke. Vizsla told the Sith that he still hadn't learned their names, and Maul formally introduced himself and his brother. Vizsla informed them that his men were in favor of an alliance to liberate Mandalore, and Maul, pleased by this development, sinisterly told Vizsla that Duchess Satine would soon learn the true burden of her peaceful campaign.

Building a Collective

Now formally allied with the Sith, Vizsla began discussing strategy for their joint takeover of Mandalore with Maul. Maul suggested that they would need a proper army to do so, but despite Vizsla's insistence that he and the Death Watch still had supporters on Mandalore, Maul stated that their help would come too late. He told Vizsla that they would build an army themselves instead, beginning with the Black Sun criminal syndicate. Though Vizsla was at first uneasy with rallying alongside organized crime, Maul argued that the Black Sun had the resources they would need to sustain a war without the scrutiny of the Republic. Convinced, Vizsla agreed to Maul's plan, and the two set out with the rest of the Death Watch for Mustafar, where the Black Sun was headquartered. As Vizsla, Maul, and Opress approached the main entrance to the Black Sun's fortress, Vizsla's soldiers disembarked their ships and surrounded them on the landing pads. They were met by a battalion led by Ziton Moj, who laughed at their intent but granted them an audience with the Black Sun council anyway.

Moj led Vizsla and the Sith to the council room inside the fortress, where Maul issued his demands for an army to the syndicate's leaders. The head of the ruling council, Xomit Grunseit, immediately denied Maul an army and bluntly told him that the Black Sun were not mercenaries. Grunseit ordered his guards to dispose of his unwanted guests and plunder their ships and weapons, and one of the councilors stated that he wanted the Darksaber from Vizsla. Moj went to take the saber from the Mandalorian, but Vizsla aimed his wrist gauntlets at Moj and a guard while Opress snapped the neck of another. Maul gave Grunseit another chance to accept, but when he refused again, Maul had Opress throw his double-bladed lightsaber forward vertically, beheading every member of the council. Turning to Moj, Maul told him the choice was now up to him, and Moj accepted, becoming the Black Sun's new leader. At Maul's command, Moj showed him, Vizsla, and Opress what the Black Sun could supply them.

As the Black Sun and Death Watch set about consolidating their resources in the dockyards outside the fortress, Vizsla approached Maul and exclaimed that they now had their army and informed the Sith that he had a plan to undermine Duchess Satine, but Maul countered that the army was still weak and was not ready to tackle the duchess yet. Vizsla replied that his plan didn't require a bigger force, but Maul again dismissed him again, saying there was only one plan, and Vizsla interrupted and said that the vision belonged to Death Watch. Maul chided Vizsla because his vision lacked clarity before adding that, without Maul and his forces, he had no army or reason to replace Satine. Maul ended their conversation by stating that the depth of the opportunity eluded Vizsla, who had to watch him and learn. With the joining of the Death Watch and Black Sun, the first criminal alliance in the Shadow Collective was formed, and both the Death Watch and resources from the Black Sun soon returned to Zanbar for the next stage.

On Zanbar, Vizsla and Maul strategized their upcoming journey to Nal Hutta, aiming to coerce the influential Hutt Clans into joining the Shadow Collective. As Bo-Katan, Vizsla, and Maul conferred over a galactic map, three vessels from the Pyke Syndicate descended near their encampment. Despite Bo-Katan's reservations about involving another criminal faction, Vizsla and Maul had foreseen the Pykes' arrival. They accepted an offer from their leader, Lom Pyke, who, through his network, had learned of their scheme and proposed joining the Shadow Collective's forces. Following a handshake with Lom, Vizsla instructed him to mobilize his troops for immediate departure to Nal Hutta. Vizsla, Maul, Opress, and Bo-Katan then spearheaded a fleet comprising three Kom'rk transports and two Pyke vessels towards Gardulla Besadii the Elder's palace on Nal Hutta. There, they were granted an audience before the Grand Hutt Council. When the Hutts inquired about the benefits of joining the Shadow Collective and granting access to Hutt Space, Maul retorted with a threat, stating that their lives would be spared only upon acceptance of his proposition.

Gardulla, present via hologram, dismissed Maul's threat with laughter and promptly commanded a group of concealed bounty hunters, including Embo, Sugi, Latts Razzi, and Dengar, to reveal themselves and safeguard the Hutts within the chamber. The bounty hunters, supported by Hutt militia members, opened fire on Vizsla and the Sith. As Maul and Savage battled the militia entering from a side passage, Vizsla directed his flamethrower towards the platform occupied by the Hutts and bounty hunters, creating an opportunity for himself and the Sith to retreat. Upon reaching an exterior landing platform, Vizsla, Maul, and Opress found themselves surrounded by Hutt fighters until Bo-Katan and her Nite Owls arrived to provide reinforcement. Vizsla instructed his lieutenant to secure the platform, forcing the Hutt enforcers to retreat into the palace, closely pursued by Vizsla, his soldiers, and the Sith. While advancing towards the burning council chamber, the trio was ambushed by Sugi and Embo. As the Sith engaged the bounty hunters, Vizsla brandished the Darksaber and decimated a portion of the remaining Hutt enforcers.

After being overpowered by Maul and Opress, Embo and Sugi escaped alongside Dengar and Razzi. When Vizsla moved to pursue them, Maul intervened, pointing out that the bounty hunters lacked allegiance to the Hutts. Returning to the council chamber, Vizsla learned from one of his soldiers that all but one of the Hutt leaders, Oruba, had managed to escape. Under duress from Maul and Savage, Oruba divulged that the Hutt leadership was also present on Tatooine, which Vizsla recognized as the location of Jabba Desilijic Tiure's palace and center of influence. Following Oruba's execution by Opress, the Shadow Collective departed Nal Hutta for Tatooine, where Vizsla's warriors initiated an assault on Jabba's palace. Vizsla aided Maul and Savage in forcing their way into the palace, where they encountered Jabba and Gorga Desilijic Aarrpo. Vizsla demanded that Jabba and Gorga surrender and align their families with the new criminal enterprise, and after another threat from Maul, the two conceded and opted to integrate the Hutt families into the Shadow Collective.

Subsequently, Vizsla informed Maul that the combined strength of the Hutts, Black Sun, and the Pykes would suffice to reclaim Mandalore. Questioning Maul's true intentions, Vizsla inquired whether he remained committed to Mandalore and exacting revenge on Kenobi. Maul revealed that, while he still intended for Vizsla to govern Mandalore, his revised strategy involved commanding a vast criminal syndicate from Mandalore, with Vizsla serving as its protector. Despite his confusion and resentment towards Maul's abrupt shift, Vizsla continued to feign compliance and informed Maul that Mandalore exerted influence over the Council of Neutral Systems, which would provide him with a range of options for his criminal empire. Maul praised Vizsla's insight, then announced that the army was prepared for deployment to Mandalore. He instructed Vizsla to dispatch an advance team to identify targets crucial to Mandalore's security, warning that failure would not be tolerated. As Maul departed, the incensed Vizsla approached Bo-Katan and confided that once Mandalore was secured, Maul and Opress would be eliminated alongside the duchess.

Attack on Sundari

Complying with Darth Maul's directive, Vizsla dispatched a reconnaissance unit to pinpoint officials involved in the New Mandalorians' security apparatus in Sundari. At his base on Zanbar, he presented a holographic projection of Sundari, highlighting the identified targets during a meeting with Maul, Opress, Ziton Moj, and Lom Pyke, each accompanied by their respective enforcers. After demonstrating to Maul that the primary targets were located in Peace Park, Vizsla cautioned against a direct assault on Mandalore, warning that it would alienate the populace. Maul proposed that his Shadow Collective gangsters would target key locations in Sundari, thereby portraying Duchess Satine's unprepared government as weak. Following this, Vizsla and his Death Watch would "apprehend" the crime lords, restoring order where Kryze had failed. Vizsla commended the plan, which, mirroring his original scheme with Count Dooku, would cast the Death Watch as saviors of the Mandalorian people. Bo-Katan volunteered to prepare the troops, concluding the meeting.

Vizsla followed his lieutenant outside and dismissed the accompanying soldiers. Bo-Katan, visibly agitated, expressed her apprehension about trusting Maul and Opress, questioning Vizsla's certainty that they would uphold their end of the agreement. Vizsla reminded her that the Shadow Collective was essential for effectively undermining Satine's rule, and once Death Watch seized the throne, their legitimacy would be unquestionable. Bo-Katan inquired about the subsequent course of action, and Vizsla revealed his intention to execute Maul and the other Shadow Collective leaders, after which the remaining criminals would disperse, leaving Mandalore solely under their control. Comprehending Vizsla's vision, Bo-Katan smiled and proceeded to mobilize their forces. Eager to finally depose his longtime adversary, Vizsla, the Death Watch, and the rest of the Shadow Collective army departed Zanbar for Mandalore. As part of Maul's strategy, several Black Sun frigates and Pyke gunships docked outside Sundari, ostensibly to deliver shipments of spice.

However, when the New Mandalorian port authorities inspected the containers delivered by the ships, ground troops led by Moj, Lom Pyke, and Opress emerged and initiated their offensive. While Moj led a contingent to Peace Park to capture civilians, Opress directed another towards Sundari's central bank and raided its vaults. As Maul and Vizsla had predicted, the sheer number and widespread deployment of the Shadow Collective's forces swiftly overwhelmed the Mandalorian Guard. As chaos ensued and casualties mounted, a crowd gathered outside the Sundari Royal Palace, where Duchess Satine appeared in an attempt to assuage their fears and reassure her people that her administration remained in control of the city. As Kryze appealed to the crowd to remain calm, Vizsla emerged, flanked by Bo-Katan and another soldier, to confront the duchess directly. Soaring above the crowd with his jetpack, Vizsla proclaimed that Satine had led Mandalore to ruin. As he hovered above her, Satine demanded to know if he was responsible for the attacks.

Vizsla informed Kryze that he was not responsible but added that he had a solution before landing beside her and addressing the crowd. Introducing himself as "Pre Vizsla of Clan Vizsla," he declared that he and the Death Watch would repel the gangsters waging war against them, and they would prevail. The crowd erupted in cheers, and Vizsla added that what the Mandalorians needed was action, not pacifism. Kryze stepped forward and addressed the crowd, cautioning that Vizsla's "war" would lead to Mandalore's destruction, but Vizsla's fervent rhetoric and the promise of a solution overshadowed her. He exclaimed to the people that they had no time for deliberation, then ascended and declared that the Mandalorian name should instill fear in the hearts of their attackers. As the crowd enthusiastically cheered for Vizsla, he and his warriors departed from the palace and returned to the Death Watch ships, where he awaited Maul's next instruction. Upon being contacted by Maul, who was pleased that the people were supporting the Death Watch, Vizsla was ordered to commence his staged counteroffensive.

Throughout the ensuing night, the Death Watch soldiers retaliated against the Shadow Collective and by morning had publicly "apprehended" Moj, Pyke, and Opress. The crowd outside the palace, now vocally supporting Vizsla, had swelled, and Vizsla returned with his followers to finally depose Kryze and her ministers from power. He and his men forcibly entered but encountered minimal resistance due to an order issued by the disheartened Satine not to obstruct them. Upon entering the throne room, the Death Watch dispersed and aimed their blasters, but the duchess restrained her Protectors from retaliating and announced her intention to avoid being driven to bloodshed by terrorists. Vizsla proudly urged Satine to listen as her people expressed their desire for change. He declared that her "feeble" rule of Mandalore was over and that the revival of their warrior heritage was imminent. Vizsla had Kryze, her ministers, and her guard arrested and imprisoned. With his adversaries ousted and the Mandalorian throne secured, Vizsla claimed the political title of Prime Minister, as well as his coveted position as Mand'alor.

The momentary Mand'alor

Speaking before the crowds later that night, Bo-Katan falsely asserted that Kryze and the other New Mandalorian leaders had fled in cowardice and presented the "captured" Shadow Collective leaders to the people. She formally introduced Vizsla as the new prime minister, an announcement that elicited praise from the crowd. Despite the people's enthusiasm, Vizsla proceeded to implement his true agenda despite not being the anointed ruler yet. Although Duchess Satine had been deposed and removed from the throne, the New Mandalorian beliefs persisted, and Vizsla initiated a loyalty purge, beginning with the former members of her administration. While some willingly denounced the duchess and her views to avoid death, others remained loyal to her and were executed. Similarly, the Mandalorian Protectors faced the fate of becoming Vizsla's political prisoners. Although the Protectors were traditionally loyal to the Mand'alor, many remained loyal to Kryze as their leader and were imprisoned alongside her, though a select few chose to follow Vizsla.

As Vizsla conferred with his soldiers in the throne room regarding the transition of power, Bo-Katan brought Maul before him. Vizsla informed Maul that he had kept Satine alive to use as bait for Kenobi, and reminded the Sith that the Jedi's demise was essential to upholding their agreement. Maul, who needed Vizsla as a public figurehead for his planned criminal enterprise, countered that the Mand'alor's oversight needed correction and that they had the potential to expand to the other neutral systems. Laughing, Vizsla revealed that it was not an oversight and that he had no interest in the other neutral systems. Vizsla informed Maul that his vision was no longer relevant, and Bo-Katan and her Nite Owls aimed their blasters at the Sith Lord. They handcuffed him and confiscated his lightsaber, and he glared at Vizsla in anger. Vizsla mockingly reassured him not to worry since he would still honor their agreement and kill Kenobi. Later, Vizsla addressed the crowds still gathered outside the palace and announced that the violence was over. Presenting the captive Maul as evidence, Vizsla used him as an example of the consequences of the New Mandalorians' pacifism.

Underestimating Maul's cunning, the Death Watch imprisoned him alongside his brother, and the two effortlessly escaped from confinement. Needing a controllable figure to serve as the public face of their underworld, they freed the former prime minister Almec, who had been arrested two years prior on corruption charges during a failed coup against Satine. The Sith, accompanied by Almec, departed the prison for the palace, where Almec informed Maul that he could challenge Vizsla to a duel for the throne without interference, in accordance with ancient Mandalorian tradition. Vizsla and his soldiers were abruptly alerted by his guard outside that they were under attack, and moments later, the entrance was breached by Opress, who choked the guard and hurled him towards the throne using the Force. Vizsla and his men rose from their seats and watched as Maul challenged him to a one-on-one duel. Unwilling to disregard tradition in front of his followers, Vizsla accepted the challenge and instructed Bo-Katan to return Maul's lightsaber. Brandishing the Darksaber, Vizsla yelled "for Mandalore" and charged at his opponent.

Death

Engaging in a furious clash of blades with Maul, Vizsla held his own against the Sith Lord. When briefly disadvantaged by Maul's powerful strikes, Vizsla deployed his jetpack and blasters before returning to the Darksaber. Unlike his duels with Obi-Wan Kenobi and Ahsoka Tano, Vizsla utilized his extensive arsenal of equipment, including his gauntlet's flamethrower and various explosives, which shattered the glass floors of the throne room. Despite his efforts, Vizsla remained Maul's equal, but the arduous and challenging battle gradually wore him down. Resuming the duel with the Darksaber, Vizsla managed to hold Maul at bay but was unable to match the Sith Lord's agility. When he attempted to use his jetpack for the second time, Vizsla was slammed to the floor by Maul, disabling the device and forcing him to remove it. Although he dislodged the lightsaber from Maul's hand, Vizsla's attempt to charge him proved unsuccessful and culminated in Maul outmaneuvering him in hand-to-hand combat and throwing him to the ground.

Vizsla crawled away from Maul, an act his soldiers witnessed with shame. Maul kicked him in the chest, then again in the face as he attempted to stand back up. Maul relentlessly assaulted Vizsla with a series of forceful blows, striking him multiple times in the head and torso until Vizsla was forced onto his back. As Vizsla writhed, Maul stepped over him to stand before the throne. Acknowledging defeat, Vizsla could only manage to rise to his hands and knees as Maul retrieved the Darksaber and ignited the blade. Knowing his death was imminent, Vizsla told Maul that it was as he said: only the strongest challenger would rule Mandalore. As Bo-Katan watched in horror, Vizsla closed his eyes and accepted his fate, and Maul raised the Darksaber, then plunged it into Vizsla's neck, beheading him.

Legacy

Consequences on Mandalore

Immediately following Vizsla's execution, Maul raised the Darksaber above his head in triumph, claiming both the saber and the throne for himself. While a majority of the Death Watch soldiers stepped forward and knelt before him, adhering to the tradition that the Mandalorian ruler was whoever wielded the Darksaber, Bo-Katan and several others refused. Bo-Katan, distraught by Vizsla's death, frantically declared that no outsider would ever govern Mandalore and denounced those who knelt to him as traitors, but Maul dismissed her protests and bluntly stated that history would not perceive it that way. He ordered the Death Watch warriors loyal to him to execute Bo-Katan and the other dissenters, but they managed to escape the palace after a firefight. Continuing his plan to establish a criminal underworld using Mandalore as a base, Maul appointed Almec as prime minister. As prime minister, Almec, having long abandoned his New Mandalorian beliefs, adopted Vizsla's declaration that the warrior ways would return.

Publicly, Almec concealed Vizsla's death and Duchess Satine's continued imprisonment by falsely claiming that Kryze had murdered Vizsla, that she was under arrest for the killing, and that it was Vizsla's last command that Almec be reinstated as prime minister. He further promoted the Death Watch's propaganda, remembering Vizsla as a martyr who had saved the Mandalorians in their time of need while Satine had fled. Behind Almec's fabricated patriotism, however, he and Maul proceeded with the repression of the Mandalorian people. Where Vizsla had targeted political opponents, Maul and Almec placed all of Sundari under lockdown and severed communication frequencies into the city. Meanwhile, Bo-Katan and her fellow dissenters resolved to remove Maul from power. Her faith in the Death Watch shaken, Bo-Katan decided to reconcile with her long-estranged sister, Duchess Satine, and allied with a militant group of Satine's followers, led by their nephew Korkie Kryze.

Bo-Katan and Korkie led an attempt to rescue Satine from prison, but the duchess was recaptured after sending a plea for help to Obi-Wan Kenobi. As a result of Kryze's neutrality and a report from Ahsoka Tano about her skirmish with Vizsla on Carlac that the Death Watch had no ties to the Confederacy, however, Kenobi was forced to go to Mandalore undercover without Republic backing. Despite his deal with Vizsla to kill Kenobi, Maul murdered Satine in front of the Jedi instead, wanting the slaying of his enemy's beloved to make Kenobi suffer. Bo-Katan rescued Kenobi from Maul's forces, an act that led to an all-out war between her resistance and the remnants of Death Watch loyal to the Sith. With Satine's execution, Maul delivered a fatal blow to what remained of the New Mandalorians, fulfilling the late Vizsla's lifelong goal. Maul's rule was briefly interrupted by his former Sith master, Darth Sidious, as well as Sidious' replacement apprentice, Dooku. As a result, the Shadow Collective and Confederacy entered a brief war.

During the conflict between Maul's forces and the Confederacy, the base Pre Vizsla had established on Zanbar was decimated, and Maul was forced to use Vizsla Keep 09, a secret outpost the Death Watch created earlier in the Clone Wars, to hold hostage Separatist leaders. Bo-Katan's resistance informed the Republic of this, and a Jedi-led task force assaulted Vizsla Keep 09 but failed to bring Maul to justice. Maul would eventually lose his conflict with the Sith and the Confederacy, after which he secretly returned to Sundari, where he maintained the loyalty of the Death Watch and the Shadow Collective. Among Maul's leading commandos were Gar Saxon and Rook Kast, who was among the first to embrace Maul and change the colors of her armor from those under Vizsla's rule to those reflecting her devotion to Maul. With aid from Ahsoka Tano, by then no longer a Jedi, Bo-Katan's resistance was able to locate Maul and convince the Republic to aid them in a siege of Mandalore near the war's end, which resulted in Maul and his forces removal from power.

The Imperial Age and beyond

After successfully ousting Maul during the siege of Mandalore, Bo-Katan was named the planet's regent by the Republic, but her reign was cut short when the Republic transformed into the authoritarian Galactic Empire at the end of the Clone Wars. Refusing to acquiesce, Kryze was effectively removed from office and replaced with Saxon, who pledged loyalty to the Empire, which occupied Mandalore. In the decades after the Empire's formation, various Mandalorian sects chose to integrate themselves with the Empire out of necessity, including groups formerly aligned with the opposing beliefs of Pre Vizsla and Satine Kryze. Despite sharing common disdain for the Empire, tensions existed between these groups long after the Clone Wars, and the late Vizsla and his nemesis had polarizing legacies. Although Mandalore largely returned to its warrior ways, Satine's rule had undergone reconsideration, with even Vizsla's former lieutenant Bo-Katan looking back on her sister's ambitions with appreciation and repentance.

Under Saxon's leadership, Death Watch propaganda from Vizsla's lifetime was destroyed. During conflict between Saxon and Clan Wren, which had been aligned with the Death Watch, Saxon was murdered by Countess Ursa Wren, a former member of the Nite Owls. The act spurred a war between Clan Saxon and Clan Wren and eventually led to another civil war. Bo-Katan joined Clan Wren and accepted the Darksaber from Sabine Wren, who had retrieved the legendary sword from the late Maul's lair a year prior. Wielding the Darksaber, Kryze united various clans and formed a resistance to the Empire in the name of her sister. Among the clans that joined her was Clan Vizsla, which had replaced the jai'galaar symbol used by Pre Vizsla with a peacetime sigil predating the Death Watch. Kryze's attempt to repel the Empire would lead to failure, with the occupiers enacting the genocide of the Mandalorian people and the decimation of the planet's surface in the Great Purge. Many years later, after the Empire's fall, Kryze rallied surviving Mandalorians of various creeds to return to the Mandalore, which they resettled.

In the New Republic Era, long after the Clone Wars, Exantor Divo, grandson of Tanivos Divo, a member of the Coruscant Security Force during the Clone Wars, received his father's lost case files. Among the files was one detailing the Shadow Collective's coup against the New Mandalorians. As Exantor learned from his grandfather's documents, Republic Intelligence had known of Vizsla's involvement with the brief criminal alliance. At some point after Vizsla's death, accounts of his life were depicted on a series of illustrated maps by the Ithorian artist Gammit Chond. Although he was a recluse, Chond purportedly based his maps on stories he heard from travelers, including those of Vizsla's campaign and his brief reign and death at the hands of Maul. Long after they were created, the maps, which were among what little of Chond's artwork to survive, were stored in the Shadow Stacks of the Graf Archive on the moon Orchis 2 until a student archivist exhumed the set, after which they were painstakingly restored and released as a collection.

According to false claims from the Sith Information Guide, Vizsla survived the Clone Wars and served as a willing ally to the Empire. In his retrospective overview of Mandalorian history, "Mandalorians Through the Ages," a supplemental guide to the tenth edition of Mandalorian Battlefield Tours, historian Eloc Throno described the ideological conflict between Pre Vizsla and Satine Kryze in detail. Although Throno opined that Kryze's reform efforts were largely vindicated, he admitted that Vizsla had successfully challenged the merit of the New Mandalorian experiment during the Clone Wars. Throno also noted that Vizsla's coup against Kryze and the New Mandalorians was successful in part because he had built himself and the Death Watch into folk heroes, an image that helped the Mandalorian people accept and celebrate the false reality that Vizsla was a liberator.

Personality and traits

Standing at a height of 1.84 meters, which is equivalent to 6 feet, and weighing 80 kilograms, Pre Vizsla was a male human character with fair skin, blue eyes, and blond hair. During his time as the Governor of Concordia, he styled his hair in a short, slicked-back fashion, complete with an undercut. Sometime after his public unveiling as the leader of the Death Watch, Vizsla began to shave his head, leading to a more disheveled appearance. It was also during this period that he acquired a noticeable scar across his left cheek, a souvenir from an encounter with Count Dooku.

Pre Vizsla, who asserted his lineage to Tarre Vizsla, the ancient Mand'alor who initially governed with the Darksaber, held a deep sense of pride in his ancestry within Clan Vizsla and its time-honored customs. He greatly valued the Mandalorian principles of strength and honor. Vizsla firmly embraced the traditional concept of the "one ruler," a position he ultimately claimed for himself, despite the declining influence of the Darksaber, which he had inherited. His heritage and lineage led him to vehemently oppose the reformist New Mandalorian movement and to cultivate a profound animosity towards its leader, Duchess Satine Kryze. Initially, he merely considered her unworthy to succeed her father; however, Vizsla's hatred for her intensified due to everything she represented. He regarded her pacifistic policies as unbecoming of a Mandalorian, believing she had sullied the reputation of their people. He argued that Kryze had decimated the Mandalorian identity and spirit, viewing her pacifism as a direct affront to his core values.

Vizsla frequently emphasized strength, often using it to contrast himself and his warrior persona with what he perceived as the "weak-minded" governance of the New Mandalorians. Despite his self-proclaimed resilience, Vizsla exhibited anxiety in pursuing his goals of reversing Kryze's reforms, a trait that became increasingly evident as his attempts repeatedly failed. He portrayed himself as an organized militant, but the failure of his initial takeover attempt exposed cracks in his facade, revealing him to be little more than a cultish zealot with a volatile temper. His repeated humiliations at the hands of both Duchess Satine and Count Dooku further eroded his mental state, leading some to believe he had descended into madness. Similarly, Vizsla's fixation on what he considered a Mandalorian sense of honor became hypocritical as he displayed brutality towards dissenters as a show of force, senselessly bullied, enslaved, and eventually slaughtered the Ming Po of Carlac, and enacted the executions of his political rivals once in power.

Fueled by a narcissistic belief that he was upholding the traditions of his forebears, Vizsla remained steadfastly opposed to both the Jedi Order and the Galactic Republic, entities that had clashed with the Mandalorians during the Old Republic Era. He regarded these ancient adversaries of Mandalore as his personal foes, insisting that the individual Jedi within the Order must atone for the historical conflicts, which he labeled as "crimes against Mandalore." Vizsla viewed the retribution he sought to inflict upon the Jedi as a form of justice. He was amenable to alliances with anyone who shared his animosity towards the Jedi. Despite his fervent hatred for the Jedi, Vizsla was unwilling to engage them in unfair combat, partially due to his inflated ego, which convinced him that his martial prowess could surpass that of the Jedi. However, Vizsla's ego often proved to be his downfall, resulting in defeats in duels against Obi-Wan Kenobi and Ahsoka Tano. His loss to Ahsoka Tano, in particular, ignited rage within Vizsla, who fumed as she effortlessly evaded his attempt to execute her.

Vizsla, unable to recognize the New Mandalorian government as a legitimate power, consistently failed to grasp the necessary steps to overthrow it. In both his alliances with the Confederacy of Independent Systems and the Shadow Alliance, Vizsla underestimated his adversaries, viewing them as nothing more than the weak cowards he believed them to be. Through his interactions with the more strategically astute Dooku and Darth Maul, the former of whom dismissed Vizsla's intelligence as that of a "neophyte," Vizsla demonstrated an inability to formulate well-thought-out plans or accept constructive criticism. Maul's assertion that Vizsla lacked a tangible reason to replace Duchess Satine, in particular, offended Vizsla's long-held and fervent conviction that it was his destiny to do so. Similar to his ability to maintain cordial relations with Kryze while serving as the Governor of Concordia, Vizsla managed to keep up appearances with Maul, sufficiently enough to seize the Mandalorian throne, but his obsessive pursuit and unwavering adherence to his cherished warrior code ultimately led to his demise.

Skills and abilities

Pre Vizsla was a highly proficient warrior, skilled in various forms of combat. He was renowned for his exceptional marksmanship and demonstrated expertise in handling a wide array of ranged weaponry, including the blasters integrated into his wrist gauntlets and his signature pistols. He was a formidable fighter in both armed and unarmed combat, capable of challenging significantly more powerful opponents, including those with Force abilities. While he lacked the agility of his Force-wielding adversaries, such as Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Maul, Vizsla compensated for this deficiency with formidable hand-to-hand combat skills. Furthermore, Vizsla was a well-trained swordsman, a skill essential for wielding the Darksaber effectively. Unlike others who struggled to handle the Darksaber, Vizsla wielded it with ease. Even if his combat skills alone were insufficient to match Jedi or Sith, Vizsla was capable of holding his own in duels.

By the time of his duel with Maul for the Mandalorian throne, Vizsla had honed his ability to seamlessly integrate his martial capabilities, swiftly transitioning between weaponry and skillsets as needed. This versatility allowed him to evolve as a fighter and learn how to engage Force wielders on equal footing, as demonstrated by his prolonged engagement with Maul, which contrasted with his shorter duels with Kenobi and Ahsoka Tano. Although he lacked the intellectual prowess of allies such as Count Dooku and Maul, or adversaries like Duchess Satine, Vizsla possessed a strong aptitude for leadership, leveraging his strongman persona and impassioned rhetoric to rally Mandalorians to his cause. Vizsla was also multilingual, fluent in both Galactic Basic Standard and Mand'oa, although, like most Mandalorians of his time, he primarily communicated in the former.

Equipment

As a Mandalorian warrior, Vizsla donned the traditional and durable armor of his people. Prior to the failure of his initial attempt to seize control of Mandalore, Vizsla's armor boasted a pristine paint finish, featuring various shades of blue and gray, along with red and yellow accents, including the symbol of the shriek-hawk, representing Clan Vizsla, on his helmet. A gray and blue serape, also adorned with the shriek-hawk, completed his armored ensemble. However, after his attempted coup crumbled and the Death Watch was compelled to relocate to Carlac, Vizsla's once immaculate armor became battle-worn, with the vibrant paints fading and deteriorating. While he no longer wore his cape, Vizsla continued to customize his armor, adding antennae to his helmet, and his chest plates displayed a traditional Mandalorian design. Typically heavily armed, Vizsla's gear included a jetpack, magnetized boots, and a pair of armored vambraces. Like other Mandalorian vambraces, Vizsla's featured a range of gadgets, including blaster barrels, a flamethrower, a whipcord launcher, and a launcher capable of firing disc-shaped buzz saws.

In addition to two WESTAR-35 blaster pistols, which he carried in hip holsters, one of Vizsla's most cherished weapons was the Darksaber, an ancient lightsaber crafted by his ancestor Tarre Vizsla and passed down through generations of Clan Vizsla. This unique artifact held a long and significant history among the Mandalorians. Despite its diminished status by the time Vizsla inherited it, the Darksaber served as a symbol of authority for his people, and tradition dictated that whoever wielded it was the rightful ruler of Mandalore. While similar to the Jedi lightsaber, the Darksaber possessed a distinct shape and color. Its signature flat energy blade, featuring an angled point near the tip reminiscent of some metal swords, emanated from a narrow slit in the saber's rectangular hilt. When activated, the black energy blade crackled and was outlined by white plasma energy. Vizsla wielded the Darksaber as his personal weapon and had an attachment on his jetpack for convenient storage when not in use.

By 19 BBY, Vizsla possessed a Kom'rk-class Mandalorian fighter, simply named Gauntlet, a common designation for Kom'rk fighters in general. Vizsla's ship also bore a Mand'oa name that translated to Gauntlet in Galactic Basic Standard. Like other Kom'rk ships employed by the Death Watch, the Gauntlet was secretly designed and constructed by engineers and technicians loyal to the faction. Vizsla proudly adorned the Gauntlet with the Mandalorian colors of white, blue, and gray, mirroring the traditional colors of his armor. The Gauntlet measured 52.3 meters in length and adhered to the sleek, albeit peculiar, configuration typical of Mandalorian ship design. After the Death Watch established its base on Zanbar, Vizsla and his crew utilized the Gauntlet in their campaigns, venturing into deep space for explorations and employing it in missions to Mustafar, Nal Hutta, and ultimately, Mandalore, where Vizsla used it as his operational hub during his coup against the New Mandalorians.

Behind the scenes

Pre Vizsla made his debut as the primary antagonist in "The Mandalore Plot," the twelfth episode of the second season of the animated television series Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Kyle Dunlevy directed the episode, while Melinda Hsu and Drew Z. Greenberg penned the script. It premiered on Cartoon Network on January 29, 2010. "The Mandalore Plot" serves as the inaugural episode of a three-part story arc, followed by "Voyage of Temptation" and "Duchess of Mandalore," which delves into the Mandalorian civilization during the Clone Wars era. Initially, "Voyage of Temptation" was intended as the sole episode of the trilogy, but at the urging of Dave Filoni and Henry Gilroy, series creator George Lucas decided to expand the storyline and feature the Mandalorians more prominently in The Clone Wars, leading to the writing of "The Mandalore Plot." Vizsla was heavily featured in promotional materials for the episodes, with numerous mentions in Star Wars Insider magazine and clips from "The Mandalore Plot" showcased at the 2009 San Diego Comic Con International.

American director Jon Favreau lends his voice to Vizsla in The Clone Wars, a casting decision made after Filoni discovered Favreau's affinity for Star Wars. The two crossed paths at Skywalker Ranch while Favreau was working on the 2008 film Iron Man. During a conversation with Filoni about his work on Iron Man, Favreau casually expressed his interest in voicing a character in The Clone Wars, and it so happened that the role of Vizsla was still uncast. This marked Favreau's initial foray into the Star Wars franchise, and he would later go on to create the live-action television series The Mandalorian. Favreau reprised his role as Vizsla in subsequent seasons of The Clone Wars, voicing the character in three additional episodes. According to an interview with Filoni featured in Star Wars Insider 115, the name "Pre" signifies a title of stature, akin to "pre-eminent," while the surname "Vizsla" was derived from Tor Vizsla, the original leader of Death Watch who appeared in the 2002 Jango Fett: Open Seasons comic book series. Vizsla received an entry in the The Clone Wars Character Encyclopedia book, published in June 2010. He was also immortalized in Hasbro's 2010 toy figure lineup.

A concept art model sheet published in Star Wars Insider 116 revealed that Vizsla's name was originally spelled "Visla." The same model sheet depicted the Mythosaur as the symbol on his cape, suggesting that it was initially intended as the symbol of the Mandalorians before being changed to the shriek-hawk for the final version of "The Mandalore Plot." Due to "Voyage of Temptation" being produced during the television series' first season, well before the other installments in the Mandalorian story arc, the character model used for Vizsla in the episode was based on the Phase I clone trooper armor design—disguised only by his serape—instead of the finalized character design used in the later episodes.