The new HBO series IT: Welcome to Derry has finally shown a concrete way to defeat the terrifying Pennywise the Dancing Clown. In the show’s fifth episode, a weapon with ancient origins proves effective against the creature, changing everything audiences thought they knew about fighting this evil.
The discovery connects the present-day story in 1962 with the history of the land’s original inhabitants, offering the children of Derry a real chance to fight back.
The Origin of the Weapon
The key to defeating Pennywise lies in its own cosmic origins. The series reveals that the entity is an alien that arrived on Earth inside a falling star centuries ago. When the star shattered, the creature inside was released and began feeding on humans.
The Shokopiwah tribe, the Indigenous people who lived on the land for years, discovered fragments of the broken star scattered in the forest. They learned that pieces of the meteor could harm the being they called Galloo. They crafted a special dagger from these fragments, creating a weapon capable of injuring the creature.
When settlers arrived and ignored warnings to avoid the Western Wood where the entity lived, many were killed. After a tribal woman named Sesqui was killed by the entity, her young daughter Necari took action. She created more weapons from the star pieces and buried thirteen shards in the ground around the forest, creating a barrier the creature could not cross. Descendants of the tribe have guarded these pillars ever since.
Pennywise Meets Its Match
In the fifth episode of IT: Welcome to Derry, both local children and military forces explore the sewer tunnels beneath Derry. The kids follow someone they believe is their friend Matty, but it is revealed to be Pennywise in disguise. The clown attacks, and most of the children escape with help from Major Leroy Hanlon.
One girl, Lilly Bainbridge, gets separated from the group and is cornered by Pennywise at a dead end in the sewer. The clown mocks her about her dead friend and shows her visions of her deceased father before opening its mouth wide to reveal rows of sharp teeth.
As Pennywise moves in for the kill, it suddenly stops. The creature is unable to move closer because the star dagger was lying in the water at Lilly’s feet, accidentally dropped there earlier by a character named Taniel. The weapon created an invisible barrier that Pennywise could not cross. The clown retreated, and Lilly picked up the ancient weapon.
Why Lilly Is the Right Person for the Weapon
The series gives the weapon to a character who is uniquely prepared to wield it. Lilly Bainbridge has endured significant trauma, including her father’s death in an accident she feels responsible for. She has also been hospitalized for mental health issues and faced other personal struggles.
Despite her pain, Lilly has shown remarkable resilience and has a deep understanding of fear. This personal history with suffering makes her particularly capable of confronting Pennywise directly. The dagger represents hope for Derry’s children and connects their current fight to ancient tribal knowledge that can now protect innocent lives.
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A New Way to Fight Fear
Previous versions of Stephen King’s story showed different methods to harm Pennywise. The Ritual of Chüd was a primary method in the book and earlier adaptations. IT: Welcome to Derry chooses a different path by introducing the star weapon, establishing that the entity has always had this weakness.
The series also features Dick Hallorann, a character with psychic abilities, who plays a significant role in uncovering Pennywise’s origins and weaknesses. His supernatural powers help access memories and knowledge about how to combat the creature.
The weapon’s effectiveness against Pennywise provides a new direction for the story while honoring the history of the land’s original inhabitants. Their centuries-old discovery may finally bring an end to the terror that has plagued Derry for generations.
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