Pennywise’s Origins Revealed: IT: Welcome to Derry Episode 4 Spoilers

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The fourth episode of ‘It: Welcome to Derry‘ uses flashbacks to explain Pennywise’s past, including its main weakness and where it makes its home in the town of Derry.

Okay, so at the end of episode four of this Stephen King series, things get really dark. General Shaw basically wants Dick Hallorann to strong-arm some information out of a guy named Taniel. Shaw thinks Taniel and his group know where Pennywise is hiding, and the general’s plan is seriously messed up – he wants to weaponize Pennywise! Like, use this terrifying clown against other countries, given all the global tension and fear of nuclear war. But Taniel isn’t giving anything up, he’s totally shutting Hallorann down and refusing to talk.

Hallorann uses his special ability, “shining,” to enter Taniel’s mind and discover what he needs to know. He finds himself within one of Taniel’s memories, where Taniel remembers everything he’s learned from his ancestors about Pennywise and its past. This allows Hallorann to uncover the monster’s key weaknesses and understand its long history on Earth.

Pennywise Landed On Earth Long Before Humans

Taniel explains Pennywise’s beginnings as an evil entity that arrived on Earth millions of years ago, carried by a falling star. He points out that this happened before humans were even around, making Pennywise incredibly ancient – far older than anyone alive today.

When a star fell to the planet, it unleashed a powerful evil spirit that wandered freely. Eventually, people discovered where the star had landed and uncovered its mysterious past.

Pennywise Has Its Own Kryptonite

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Okay, so the big reveal in this one is pretty cool. When humans first stumbled upon the wreckage of whatever brought Pennywise to Earth, they figured out something amazing: it wasn’t just a crash, it was a prison break. Apparently, this thing was trapped inside the star it arrived on, and the crash was its escape. Even better, the pieces of that shattered star? They turn out to be the one thing that can actually hurt it, making them the heroes’ best weapon. It’s a clever twist that really raises the stakes.

Because of this, Taniel’s family used pieces of the star for several years to protect themselves from Pennywise. They called these pieces the “Galloo” and stayed safe by avoiding the Western Woods. They also used a shard as a dagger to defend themselves, and this kept the creature away for many years.

Humans Learned To Live In Harmony With Pennywise Until The Settlers Arrived

For generations, Taniel’s family has shared everything they learned about Pennywise, helping them coexist peacefully with the creature. They stayed out of Pennywise’s hunting grounds and kept it from entering theirs.

This peaceful existence didn’t last long with the arrival of new settlers. They were warned about the dangers of the western woods, but they continued to hunt there anyway, ultimately falling victim to Pennywise.

Pennywise Grew From Strength To Strength, Becoming More Immune Its Kryptonite

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Okay, so this creature, the Galloo, it just kept getting stronger by feeding on people’s fear and, well, their actual bodies. Eventually, a single magical dagger wasn’t enough to keep it trapped in those Western woods. It got to the point where Taniel’s family – his ancestors – were about to give up and leave the area. But then this incredibly brave girl, Necani, stepped up. She decided to venture into those dangerous woods with the dagger, hoping to find some other way to stop the Galloo. It’s a classic setup, honestly – one person against a monster, searching for a solution when everyone else has lost hope. I’m already invested!

The girl’s mother, known as Sesqui, went into the woods after her, trying to keep her safe from the monster. But the creature, the Galloo, appeared as everyone’s deepest fears and killed them all, including Sesqui.

Necani Found Pennywise’s Fallen Star & Used It To Cage It

Following her mother’s death, Necani ventured back into the Western forests. This time, she successfully found Pennywise’s cave and located the fallen star. Together, they traveled around the woods, burying thirteen pieces of the star. These shards were the one thing the Galloo were afraid of, effectively trapping Pennywise within the forest.

This explains why it couldn’t follow General Shaw out of the woods in the opening scene of It: Welcome to Derry, episode 3. After hiding the broken pieces, the group vowed to keep their location a secret, hoping to prevent anyone from ever releasing the Galloo upon the world.

The Military Will Likely Make The Mistake Of Unleashing Pennywise

Near the end of episode 4 of It: Welcome to Derry, Taniel shares with Dick Hallorann where the pillars containing Galloo are located. Because Hallorann is assisting General Shaw in his search for Pennywise, he’ll probably let Shaw know about the pillars. This will likely lead the military to attempt to weaponize the monster, but it almost certainly won’t end well for them or the town of Derry.

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2025-11-17 05:59