-- Art by @Venamis via Instagram
In S5:EP15 of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Death Watch successfully takes over Mandalore, but the action doesn't end with a siege. There must also be a ruler on the throne of Mandalore. Viszla was determined to take the title of "Mandalore" while Maul wasn't about to let his handiwork be taken by someone else. So, a duel for the fate of Mandalore's throne ensues. Everyone knows the result of the fight; especially Bo-Katan and the Death Watch soldier's who escaped off world. S7:EP8 of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Bo-Katan, Ursa Wren, and an unknown third Mandalorian Nite Owl approach Ahsoka Tano for help in returning Mandalore to its proper hands as well as to free the people of Mandalore from Maul's tyranny.
Something I have often pondered is, was Maul innocent of his "crimes" against Mandalore? This question is very nuanced and requires us to look at multiple different frames of reference. For roughly half of the Clone Wars and likely years upon years before, Mandalore had fancied themselves a "pacifist world", ditching their brutality and barbaric combat. They had developed a self-sustaining government, education facilities, hospitals, and political decisions of the democratic nature were installed. Their Mandalore wasn't actually a Mandalore, she was a Duchess, and her name was Satine Kryze. To my understanding, there isn't any mention of a Duke of Duchess' time in office, so I am not aware the level of democracy this world is. Point is, due to the world pacifist alignment, what Maul did was an illegal invasion. He and his many soldiers and affiliates could be tried for a number of things. So, legally and technically speaking, Maul was guilty.
However, Death Watch referred to themselves as Mandalorians, which included Bo-Katan and her Nite Owls. Her alignment meant that conquering a world and killing whoever got in your way was fair game. This has often included villagers, civilians, and other forms of infantry to get what you want. This is how it has been since the Taung were the primary species of the Mandalorians. Something that both Mandalore the First and Maul share in common is that they are not human. In fact, the existence of alien species in the Mandalorians has been practiced for thousands of years. So, it isn't Maul being a Dathomirian Zabrak that is the problem? His conquering of Mandalore isn't the issue in Mandalorian culture? It isn't the fact that he has the Dark Saber and killed Pre Viszla for it? So, what is it? It is the fact that a mercenary group calling themselves Mandalorian's took over Mandalore. Because they were a terrorist group, they had a lot for conflicting ideas in Death Watch which caused the skirmish in the Throne Room during in S5:EP15.
So who can we blame for Mandalore's civilization as peace keepers collapsing? Death Watch is the answer. Is Maul still very much as fault for the oppression the citizen's of Mandalore experienced? Yes. But, he acted as Mandalore should. On the other side of the credit, is Bo-Katan wrongful in her plan to return Mandalore to its old ways? No. An interesting thing I have come to realize thinking about this is; neither Bo-Katan or Maul are wrong. When a Mandalore is pronounced as such, they are in charge of the Mandalorian's and can influence change with their politics and ethics. Good, bad, progressive? It doesn't matter, they are Mandalore.
But, what does this conflict say about Death Watch. To me, it paints a pretty clear picture that they are not Mandalorian's in the same sense that Jango Fett was. What I mean is, Death Watch, despite their more terroristic, selfish, and reactionary ways, they differ to True Mandalorians in that they were, yes, very ruthless, but they also had an honor code and wanted their members to survive. Picking each other up, watching each other's six, and keep each other alive. When Pre Viszla in The Clone Wars saw one case of failure, he had deemed it weakness. This is the same thing with the Old Republic's neo crusaders. The neo crusaders of the old republic were recruited from a large selection field from actual Mandalorian's like Canderous Ordo, or slavers and mercenaries like Xor. Difference is, they had some unifying qualities and some of the same MOs; they simply wanted to kill and get paid. Neo Crusaders, True Mandalorians, and Death Watch are vastly different to each other. Because of Death Watch's reactionary ways, conquering and unifying under a single banner becomes near impossible when the entire premise and reason as to why Death Watch exists is because they were a Mandalorian terrorist splinter group who didn't have morals who didn't love the idea of authority changing things.
That is the best understanding I could pull from this conflict. Maul wasn't wrong, Bo-Katan wasn't wrong either. They were both trying to conquer Mandalore for different purposes as a Mandalore should. The fault comes down to Death Watch being the ones that caused the Mandalorian splinter group to splinter even more. It is what caused Maul's super commando's to come into existence, too. Death Watch is likely responsible for the creation of the Imperial Super Commando's, too.