WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Season 2, Episode 3 of The Mandalorian, "Chapter 11: The Heiress," streaming now on Disney+.
The eleventh episode of The Mandalorian, "The Heiress," reintroduced Bo-Katan Kryze, one of the most famous Mandalorians of The Clone Wars and Rebels. She also has the best claim to become the legitimate ruler of Mandalore, at least according to her. This is why she wants to capture the Imperial ship, take its supplies and extract the location of the Darksaber, the mythical sword of Mandalore. The Darksaber doesn't have any mystical properties, but it confers its rightful wielder the legitimacy to rule Mandalore; however, there is already another character in The Mandalorian with a solid claim to the Darksaber, and they could be a descendant of Paz Vizsla.
The Darksaber was forged by Tarre Vizsla, the first Mandalorian inducted into the Jedi order over 1000 years before The Mandalorian starts. Tarre Vizsla later became the ruler of Mandalore, and his Darksaber became the symbol of the planet's unification. However, for a very long time, the weapon was not in the hands of Mandalorians; it was in the hands of the Jedi Temple.
It was House Vizsla who broke into the Jedi Temple to take it back during the fall of the Old Republic, and it was House Vizsla who ruled a united Mandalore for a lengthy period, passing down the Darksaber through the generations. By 21 BBY, House Vizsla had taken a wrong turn, leading Mandalore into a devastating civil war that almost destroyed their planet.
Pre Vizsla and his followers were exiled to the Moon of Concordia, secretly forming the Death Watch and plotting the fall of Mandalore's new ruler, the pacifist Duchess Satine Kryze. Pre Vizsla wielded the Darksaber in every skirmish until he was defeated and beheaded by Darth Maul.
However, Pre Vizsla was not the last Vizsla. There is at least one other Vizsla alive who has already appeared in The Mandalorian. Paz Vizsla, Din Djarin's bellicose mate from Season 1, was the Mandalorian who confronted Din about accepting a job from Imperial allies, as well as payment in beskar marked with the sign of the Empire. Din and Paz almost fought in the inner sanctum of Nevarro until the Armorer put an end to their dispute. However, Paz Vizsla, who was very vocal about his rigid view of the Way, still covered Din's back in the Season 1 finale.
In "The Heiress," Bo Katan confirmed that the Children of the Watch had a lot in common with Pre Vizsla's Death Watch and were most likely a radical splinter of that Mandalorian subsect. While most of the Mandalorians introduced in Season 1 seem to be foundlings like Din Djarin, there's no reason to believe that a character named Vizsla is not related to the Vizslas, especially in a franchise like Star Wars, where family lineage is everything.
Conflicting claims to a sword that defines legacy and power are nothing new in Star Wars. Bo-Katan's reluctant acceptance of the Darksaber in Rebels mirror's Rey's initial reluctance to wield Anakin's lightsaber in The Force Awakens, while Paz Vizsla's bloodline-based claim would parallel Kylo Ren's. However, after struggling for three films, Rey and Kylo eventually joined forces to defeat the Emperor. Bo-Katan and Paz Vizsla could come together as well, underlining Bo-Katan's plea that Mandalorians are stronger when they are together.
Created by Jon Favreau, The Mandalorian stars Pedro Pascal, with guest stars Amy Sedaris, Misty Rosas and Richard Ayoade. Directors for the new season include Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni, Bryce Dallas Howard, Rick Famuyiwa, Carl Weathers, Peyton Reed and Robert Rodriguez. New episodes air on Disney+.