Clan Vizsla/Legends

"For generations, my ancestors fought proudly as warriors against the Jedi."

- Pre Vizsla

Clan Vizsla was an ancient Mandalorian clan whose members throughout the galaxy's history have included skilled bounty hunters, powerful warlords, and peaceful New Mandalorians. However, the clan would become most closely associated with the renegade Mandalorian group known as the Death Watch, formed by the barbaric clan member Tor Vizsla, and later led by his kinsmen Pre Vizsla during the Clone Wars.

History
"This lightsaber was stolen from your Jedi Temple by my ancestors during the fall of the Old Republic. Since then many Jedi have died upon its blade. Prepare yourself to join them!"

- Pre Vizsla, discussing the Darksaber and the history of the Vizsla clan

The Vizsla clan was an ancient Mandalorian clan, its existence in the galaxy dating back thousands of years before the rise of the Galactic Empire. Though its history, Clan Vizsla counted a number of bounty hunters and warlords among their numbers. During a collapse in power of the Old Republic, the Vizsla clan was responsible for the theft of the Darksaber from the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. This unique black-bladed lightsaber would be passed down through the clan for generations, coming into possession of Pre Vizsla at some point prior to 21 BBY. Following the foundation of the pacifistic New Mandalorians circa 730 BBY, several members of the Vizsla clan joined the peaceful movement, becoming members of the New Mandalorians themselves.

Perhaps the most notorious member of Clan Vizsla was the brutal soldier Tor Vizsla. In 60 BBY, Tor Vizsla and his followers broke away from the clans under the reigning Mand'alor of the time, Jaster Mereel, and formed the Death Watch splinter faction. The sigil of Clan Vizsla was taken on as the symbol of the violent and radical group, and the clan would become closely associated with the Death Watch. After Tor Vizsla perished at the hands of Jango Fett, Tor's Vizsla clan kinsman, Pre Vizsla, took command of the Death Watch and rebuilt it during the early years of the Clone Wars, becoming the second Vizsla clan member to lead the faction. Pre Vizsla held an ambition to restore the glory of the Vizsla clan that had faded through the years, and make the name a feared one again.

Tor Vizsla
"They called themselves the 'Death Watch'   and followed a barbarian called Vizsla, who believed that the Mandalorians should conquer the galaxy."

- Count Dooku, on Tor Vizsla

Tor Vizsla was a brutal, and barbaric soldier whose dreams of becoming Mand'alor and returning the Mandalorians to their conquering ways were dashed by the ascension of fellow Mandalorian, Jaster Mereel, to the position. Mereel's attempts to return a sense of honor to the increasingly dishonorable Mandalorian mercenaries was met with objection from Tor, who gathered to him a group of like-minded warriors who had enjoyed their lives of unaccountability prior to Mereel's claim to the title of Mand'alor. Under Tor, the Death Watch was formed, and he led his troops through the Mandalorian Civil War again Jaster Mereel's loyal "True Mandalorians". Tor personally killed Mereel on Korda 6, and through his machinations, led the supercommandos of the True Mandalorians to their deaths on the planet Galidraan, at the hands of a Jedi strike team. Years later, however, Tor would meet the same fate courtesy of Jaster Mereel's adopted son, Jango Fett, who hunted Tor to Corellia and left the wounded Death Watch leader to be killed by a pack of dire cats following a lengthy fight.

Pre Vizsla
"Unacceptable! You promised us we would reclaim Mandalore from these weak-willed cowards! I will order my men to attack!''" "''And if you do, you'll hold the planet for perhaps a day. Without the backing of my forces or your people, your revolution will be over before it begins. A neophyte like yourself wouldn't know these things, but I do."

- Pre Vizsla expresses his frustration to Count Dooku

Pre Vizsla grew up in an era of Mandalorian history wherein the peaceful New Mandalorians were the dominant faction, but Pre yearned for the New Mandalorians' downfall and a return to the widespread warrior ways of the past. Having become the governor of Mandalore's moon, Concordia, Pre was publicly a supporter of the New Mandalorian government and of its leader, Duchess Satine Kryze. In secret, however, he despised Kryze, her government, and everything they stood for, leading the Death Watch against those he considered to be a disgrace to all Mandalorians. Pre revealed himself and his intentions during a battle with the Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, and tried to kill the Duchess as part of a Separatist-backed plot to take over control of Mandalore from the New Mandalorians.

Behind the scenes
The Vizsla clan can find its creative roots in the 2002 comic book series, Jango Fett: Open Seasons, wherein the character of Tor Vizsla first appeared, but only as "Vizsla". The Essential Atlas, released seven years later in 2009, finally provided him with the first name of "Tor". Later, in 2010, the television series Star Wars: The Clone Wars introduced the Death Watch leading character of Pre Vizsla, taking the surname from the previous Death Watch leader. Though both characters possessed the same surname and were Death Watch leaders, it was only with the publication of the Star Wars: The Clone Wars: New Battlefronts: The Visual Guide reference book that Tor and Pre were officially connected and the Vizsla clan introduced to Star Wars canon.

Appearances

 * Jango Fett: Open Seasons