During the Clone Wars, Obi-Wan Kenobi arrived on Mandalore to investigate rumors that some on Mandalore sought to return the planet to its warrior past. Obi-Wan’s former love Duchess Satine denied that at first, but then quietly admitted that a group calling itself Death Watch existed. But she dismissed them as mere hooligans.

But Death Watch was organized and dangerous – and in league with Count Dooku. Death Watch’s secret leader – Pre Vizsla, governor of Concordia – listened impatiently as Dooku explained his plot. Mandalorians saw Death Watch as a terrorist group, but would greet Vizsla’s warriors as liberators if the Republic could be manipulated into intervening in Mandalore’s internal affairs.

A Death Watch bombing on Mandalore led Obi-Wan to Concordia, where he slipped away from Satine and Vizsla and found a Death Watch arsenal in an abandoned mine. Death Watch warriors knocked him unconscious and took him captive.

Satine rescued Obi-Wan, but Vizsla arrived, openly declaring his Death Watch allegiance. He threw Obi-Wan his lightsaber and then he drew his own energy blade, known as the Darksaber.

Obi-Wan defeated Vizsla in their duel, and the Death Watch leader fled with his warriors. Satine then traveled to Coruscant aboard her luxury liner, with Obi-Wan, Anakin Skywalker and clone troopers aboard as security.

Satine refused to believe that Death Watch was in league with the Separatists. But she had to admit the truth after Senator Tal Merrik tried to kill her and Separatist battle droids invaded the ship. Merrik’s plot was foiled when Anakin ran the treacherous senator through with his lightsaber.

On Coruscant, a Death Watch assassin stalked Satine and Dooku’s shadowy allies plotted to engineer a Republic invasion of Mandalore. Meanwhile, Vizsla and his warriors waited on Concordia, ready to free Mandalore and dethrone Satine.

The Republic prepared to invade Mandalore after receiving a message from Deputy Minister Jerec in which he appeared to admit his planet needed help from the Jedi and the Republic to defeat Death Watch. Satine traveled into Coruscant’s underworld on a dangerous quest for an unaltered copy of Jerec’s message. But she found herself in a Death Watch assassin’s sights.

Obi-Wan foiled the assassination attempt and slipped into the Senate Building, where he gave the unaltered message to Padmé Amidala. Confronted with proof that the original evidence had been faked, the Senate called off the invasion of Mandalore.

A furious Vizsla vowed to go ahead with his attack, but Dooku scornfully told him that Death Watch would never be able to hold the planet. He assured the Death Watch leader that other plans were in motion to bring down Satine.

Later, Ahsoka Tano’s old friend Lux Bonteri brought her to Carlac, where Death Watch had found a safe haven. Lux said he and Death Watch were allied in seeking to kill Dooku, but Ahsoka saw that Death Watch’s military precision had decayed into banditry and wanton cruelty.

Vizsla bore a terrible scar from Dooku’s lightsaber, evidence that Death Watch’s alliance with the Separatists had ended.

When local Ming Po villagers arrived at Death Watch’s camp to demand the return of women stolen by the warriors, Vizsla and his thugs responded by killing the chieftain’s granddaughter and torching the Ming Po homes.

After Ahsoka tried to stop the massacre, Vizsla tried to kill her with the Darksaber. Freed by R2-D2, Ahsoka dueled the Death Watch leader, then fled with Lux aboard a speeder.

Their getaway was nearly spoiled by the female warrior Bo-Katan, leader of a Death Watch unit called the Nite Owls. In a brawl atop the speeder, Ahsoka barely bested the agile Bo-Katan, knocking her into the snow and escaping.

A chance discovery had enormous implications for Death Watch. In deep space, Vizsla’s warriors found a drifting escape pod. Inside were the Sith warriors Darth Maul and Savage Opress, half-frozen but still alive.

Learning of Vizsla’s goal and their mutual hatred for Obi-Wan Kenobi, Maul proposed an alliance with Vizsla. Death Watch agreed, but Maul warned that an invasion of Mandalore would require more allies.

In a rapid-fire series of strikes and alliances, Maul’s new Shadow Collective added firepower and resources,: Black Sun, the Pike Syndicate and key Hutt clans agreed to join forces with the Sith warriors and Death Watch.

As the Shadow Collective prepared its assault on Mandalore, Bo-Katan told Vizsla of her doubts about the alliance. But Vizsla saw Death Watch’s new allies as a means to defeat Satine – and he fully intended to betray Maul as soon as Mandalore was his.

The other members of the Shadow Collective invaded Mandalore, throwing the planet into chaos. As Satine pleaded for calm, Vizsla and his Death Watch commandos arrived, posing as noble warriors determined to defend their planet.

Death Watch then “defeated” the Shadow Collective rogues in sham battles that made them heroes of Mandalore. A triumphant Vizsla declared himself prime minister, to Satine’s despair. Death Watch had won.

With Death Watch victorious, Vizsla no longer needed Maul. His warriors took Maul and Savage captive, exhibiting them to the crowds, and then threw them into prison. But the Sith promptly began plotting the Death Watch leader’s undoing.

Taking advantage of Mandalorian tradition, Maul challenged Vizsla to a duel for leadership of Death Watch. Vizsla had no choice but to accept, and ignited the Darksaber. Maul quickly defeated the Mandalorian and beheaded him.

Bo-Katan refused to accept Maul’s leadership, and fought her way out of the palace with the other Nite Owls. She then broke Satine out of prison. The duchess was quickly recaptured, but managed to get a message to Obi-Wan on Coruscant, pleading for help.

Most of Death Watch stayed loyal to Maul, and remade themselves as super commandos in his image – with Bo-Katan and her Nite Owls seeking to undermine their rule and regain control of Mandalore.

Obi-Wan arrived on Mandalore to try and rescue Satine, but his attempt failed and Maul killed the duchess before his eyes. Bo-Katan -- whom Obi-Wan discovered was Satine’s sister – freed the Jedi. Backed by the Nite Owls, the two battled Maul’s warriors.

As Darth Sidious arrived to confront Maul, Bo-Katan told Obi-Wan to return to the Republic with word of what had happened on Mandalore. Death Watch had been plunged into chaos, and the fate of Mandalore was uncertain.

Darth Sidious defeated Maul and imprisoned him on Stygeon, but the Sith warrior’s commandos broke him out – which Sidious allowed in order to draw out the Nightsister matriarch Mother Talzin. Maul regrouped on Ord Mantell with the Death Watch warriors who had remained loyal to him.