The Mandalorian season 3’s penultimate episode was full of surprising moments and high octane action sequences as the remaining Mandalorians returned to their home to retake the planet. The group came across some Mandalorians already living on the planet, as well as some dangerous creatures that now occupy the world after the Empire destroyed it during the Night of a Thousand Tears. Din Djarin and Bo-Katan were leading the group alongside The Armorer before they were attacked by Moff Gideon and his new army of intimidating soldiers, all of whom were reinforced with Beskar steel to aid them in battle.
Because of this, it was extremely difficult to defeat them or Gideon, even for warriors as powerful as the Mandalorians. In the battle, Paz Vizsla eventually fell, as he was completely surrounded. This appears to be the end of the line for Vizsla in The Mandalorian. Though he was originally introduced as a side character of little substance, this season has turned into a hero with an actual arc and development, making him one of the best players in the series so far.
Paz Vizsla was introduced in the first season of The Mandalorian, where he was portrayed as a second-in-command figure to The Armorer when they were living below the surface of Nevarro. In canon, Paz is a member of Clan Vizlsa, or House Vizsla, which was founded by Tarre Vizsla. Paz is a descent of Tarre, who was the creator of the infamous darksaber and essentially the only person to be both a Mandalorian and a Jedi. The Vizsla clan is one of the key factions in the inter-dynamics and inner workings of Mandalore.
In the first two seasons of The Mandalorian, Paz’s lineage was clear straight away given his name, along with the fact that Jon Favreau voiced him. Favreau voiced another Clan Vizsla member in The Clone Wars, so the fact that he returned again to lend his voice here was a giveaway towards the character’s origins (if they weren’t already clear). He ultimately didn’t have much to do beyond the occasional action sequence, especially as Din Djarin moved beyond his Mandalorian covert in order to return Grogu to the Jedi. When they did share a scene together, though, Djarin and Vizsla often clashed, with the latter operating as an obstacle for the main hero.
It was more of the same for Paz Vizsla in The Book of Boba Fett, as he wanted to take the darksaber from Djarin in order to have it returned to his House. He believed this was justified as his ancestor forged the blade, as opposed to Djarin, a foundling who is a Mandalorian but doesn’t share the lineage as Paz. As fans will remember, despite challenging for the weapon, Djarin beat out Vizsla to keep hold of the darksaber, although he later gave it up to Bo-Katan in season 3 of his own show.
All of this is to say that, for a while, Paz Vizsla has been a relatively one-dimensional, straightforward character of little substance. However, in The Mandalorian season 3, Vizsla has excelled far beyond that judgment. He has grown into a hero with personality, honor, and an arc that makes him of the best characters of the show so far. He’s not just a heavy weaponry fighter, nor is he selfishly looking to obtain the darksaber in order to get power. Rather, Vizsla holds honor and loyalty at the top of the list of his most valuable assets, and wants to bring those to his family.
Season 3 revealed that Vizsla's family includes his son, Ragnar, who was shown taking the creed in the very first scene of the new season. It wasn’t clear that Ragnar was related to Vizsla until later on, when his son was captured by a local monster on the planet. But wh hen another separate threat attacked in Chapter 17, Vizsla stepped in, putting his life on the line and protect the child.
That was a heartwarming moment looking back, especially now knowing that the two are father and son. But what’s even more touching is the loyalty that Vizsla showed to Din Djarin after he helped rescue Ragnar. The two have had so many disagreements over the course of the three seasons, and there were times when it seemed like Paz was going to be turned into a full-blown villain for the lead hero. But after Djarin saved his son, he showed the same loyalty and returned the favor by helping Greef Karga on Nevarro, even as he had major disagreements with Karga from back when they lived on the same planet.
Vizsla's arc was complete when he sacrificed himself on Mandalore, thus allowing the rest of his people to escape. It was a surprisingly emotional moment that helps to further demonstrate Vizsla’s development as a character, and show that he’s so much more than what he was initially portrayed as. This turn makes him one of the most interesting and best characters in The Mandalorian.