Editor’s Note: The following are spoilers for The Mandalorian Season 3.episode last week The Mandalorian In the third season of The Foundling, Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal/Brendan Wayne/Lateef Crowder) strengthens his ties to the Vizsla clan, one of the most important and powerful families of the Mandalorian culture. When young RagnarWesley Kimmel) is kidnapped by a pterodactyl-like creature, Dean, Bo-Katan Kryze (Katee Sackhoff) and Pas Vizsla (trait fletcher) lead a rescue squad to rescue him. In the end, the group defeats the beast and returns the foundling to their hideout. This is a huge relief for Paz as he reveals that Ragnar is his son.
We saw Ragnar being adopted into the Vizsla clan in the Season 3 premiere “The Renegade”, but there was no indication that he was Paz’s son. Now this new information helps us understand all of Mandalorian social and power structures. Saving Ragnar is important not only to Paz, but to everything arcane, as his clan is one of the oldest and most traditional on Mandalore, and he is now their heir. The once mighty Vizsla ruled all of Mandalore in the distant past, but over the centuries they have lost much of their power, but they still retain their influence and are prouder than ever of their heritage. They can be powerful allies of Din Djarin and Grog, or they can be their mortal enemies… and we know it all too well.
Where does the strength of the Vizsla clan come from?
The history of Mandalore is complex and multifaceted. For millennia, they have maintained their warlike customs, their traditions, and their Beskar armor and helmets at all times. They had countless conflicts with the Jedi Order in the distant past, but in the end, a Mandalorian was accepted into the Order, which granted several years of peace between these two factions, constantly at war with each other.
Tarre Vizsla was the leader - and likely founder - of the Vizsla clan and served as a liaison between the Jedi and the Mandalorians for several years. He was a powerful Force user and achieved the rank of Jedi Knight. During his time with the Order, he swam against the current, keeping in tune with his culture and practicing some of their customs. For example, he created his own unique version of the lightsaber - the Darksaber. Its hilt is made of pure beskar, and its pitch-black blade, unlike that of conventional lightsabers, also has a white edge shaped like a knife.
However, this did not last long. Eventually, Tarre Vizsla left the Jedi Order and returned to Mandalore. Returning home, he united many clans and claimed the title of Mandalore, the leader of the Mandalorian people. The dark sword became the symbol of his reign, and the Mandalorians later had to win the weapon in battle so they could claim it and the title, meaning that Din Djarin now owns both the weapon and the title. Tarre Vizsla also consolidated the power of House Vizsla and created its sub-clan, Clan Vizsla, to which Paz, Ragnar and many others belong as direct descendants of the myth itself.
Clan Vizsla in the Clone Wars and the Age of Empire
Despite their glorious past, the Vizsla clan also fought on the wrong side more than once, such as in the Clone Wars. Our first contact with them was in clone wars animated series when Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi (James Arnold Taylor) was sent to Mandalore to negotiate with their new democratic government, the New Mandalorians, and support them in the conflict. To understand their terms, he traveled to the moon of Concordia, where a group of terrorists and Mandalorian fundamentalists known as the Death Watch were operating. Their leader wielded the Dark Sword and sought to destroy the New Mandalorians in order to rule as the new Mand’alor. His name, you guessed it, was Pre Vizsla (John Favreau).
During the Clone Wars, Pre Vizsla initially enlisted the help of the Separatists to fight the New Mandalorians, but was eventually betrayed by Count Dooku (Corey Burton). Still obsessed with defeating Duchess Satin Kryze (Anna Graves) and her New Mandalorians, he then made a deal with former Sith Lord Maul (Sam Witwer), who - you guessed it again - also betrayed him. In a duel, Maul defeated Pre Vizsla, gaining both the Darksaber and the title of Mand’alor, and then killed Duchess Satine. It was then that the Death Watch split into two groups: one in favor of Maul led by Gar Saxon (Ray Stevenson) and Lady Cast (Vanessa Marshall), and the Night Owls, led by Bo-Katan, a former Deathwatch. After a long civil war, Maul was defeated, but then came the Empire with the end of the Clone Wars.
During the Imperial era, the Vizsla clan was not as active as it used to be, but their activities still resonated with the Mandalorians. But House Vizsla was still important. During this period, a Mandalorian warrior joined the Rebel Alliance. Sabina Wren (English)Tia Sircarlisten)) is a member of Clan Ren, a sub-clan of House Vizsla, and orchestrated the end of Imperial rule on Mandalore with the Phoenix Rebel cell and the Night Owls of Bo-Katan. She stumbled upon the Darksaber and, after defeating Gar Saxon (now an Imperial governor), handed the weapon over to Bo-Katan. Unfortunately, we know that ownership of sacred weapons works differently, which is one of the reasons the Mandalorians believe their home system fell to the Empire again in the Night of a Thousand Tears, led by Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito). But Imperial rule didn’t last forever, and when they fell, the Mandalorians found themselves once again without a leader or a home.
The Vizsla clan after the fall of the Empire
We meet a member of the Vizsla clan again only in The Mandalorian Season 1 When Din Djarin decides that he is not allowing the Imperial Remnant to experiment on Grog, a major battle erupts on Nevarro between the Imperials and members of his Mandalorian front. However, shortly before this, he had to convince his peers and nearly got into a fight with Paz Vizsla, who taunted him for revealing the location of the stash.
Dean and Paz rarely saw eye to eye, and even fought duels for possession of the Dark Sword in Boba Fett book. However, Paz does not seem to share the treacherous ways of his ancestor Pre Vizsla. He is proud of his family name and believes in his right to the Sword of Darkness, but never considered betraying the Creed or his fellow Mandalorians for his own gain. Instead, despite his pride, he often puts the needs of his stash and the rule of the Creed ahead of the interests of Clan Vizsla. His help to Dean on Nevarro, and now Dean’s help in Renegade, prove they can act as allies despite their differences. I hope they stay like this until the end. The Mandalorian.
New episodes The Mandalorian come to Disney+ every Wednesday.
Source: Collider
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