The Atlantic said of the character; "the scariest thing about Pennywise, though, is how he preys on children's deepest fears, manifesting the monsters they're most petrified by (something J. K. Rowling would later emulate with boggarts)." British scholar Mikita Brottman has also said of the miniseries version of ...

What makes Pennywise so scary?

The case is the same with Pennywise and the Joker. An evil clown in a movie draws its power and fear from the sense of disconnect that it evokes in the audience. Blood splattered onto a bleached white face. Demonic laughter heard over the screams of victims.

What is the story behind Pennywise?

In the novel, It's origins are nebulous. He took the form of a clown most frequently, Mr. Bob Gray or Pennywise, but his true form is an ancient eldritch entity from another universe who landed in the town that would become Derry by way of an asteroid and first awoke in 1715.

Why does Pennywise scare before killing?

Pennywise does not need to scare his victims in order to kill them, he simply prefers to. The reason he does this is because it supppsedly tastes better. He says it's like "salting the meat." Pennywise feeds off the fear as much as he does the consumption of Children.

Why does Pennywise terrorize kids?

Pennywise/It

Described as a mysterious, eldritch, demonic entity of evil, It is a monster of unknown origin that preys on Derry's children and humans every twenty-seven years. IT finds striking fear in children akin to seasoning or "salt(ing) the meat", "You all taste so much better when you are afraid".

Pennywise: How to Make a Horror Villain | Video Essay

Why does Pennywise eat every 27 years?

IT arrived on Earth through an event similar to an asteroid impact, landing in what would later become Derry, Maine. Once there, IT adopted its usual pattern of hibernation that lasted between 27 and 30 years, awakening to kill and eat and then going back to sleep.

Why does Pennywise need to eat?

So in this case, Pennywise is an entity that feeds on fear and fear actually gives him power, but he needs a constant supply of it, otherwise his physical form weakens and can eventually be destroyed.

Why did Pennywise eat kids?

According to It, when humans got scared, "all the chemicals of fear flooded the body and salted the meat". This is why he prefers to feast on children -- their fears are simple, pure, and powerful compared to the complex, pathological fears of adults. Basically, children are delicious.

What does Pennywise fear the most?

Stephen King's IT introduced readers to a one-of-a-kind creature that can take any form, the most common one being Pennywise the Dancing Clown, and as menacing as it is, this creature has one big enemy it's truly scared of: Maturin, the turtle.

What is Pennywise weakness?

However, It must surrender the the laws of whatever shape It takes. Pennywise's strength is also his weakness. For example, if he were to take the shape of a werewolf (as he does in the novel), silver bullets would harm him.

Why did Pennywise turn into a baby?

And if his victim believes him to be powerless, he will become powerless. And so the group figures out that their best bet is, essentially, to bully the bully: They mock Pennywise, telling him he isn't scary. Humiliated, Pennywise begins to shrink, transforming into an almost Benjamin Button–like, melted clown-baby.

Was Pennywise a human before?

There was a human Pennywise the Dancing Clown, but IT just takes his form. In the movie canon, Pennywise the Dancing Clown was a real person whose image IT decided was a terrifying enough basis for his child-scaring campaign.

What kind of creature is Pennywise?

IT (also commonly known as Pennywise) is an ancient alien/eldritch monster and the title character and the overall secondary antagonist of the Stephen King multiverse, serving as the titular main antagonist of the It Miniseries and it's two film adaptations IT and IT: Chapter Two.

Is Pennywise truly evil?

Pennywise, the ultimate horror villain. A truly evil character known for choosing his victims before they are old enough to drive.

Why do adults not see Pennywise?

They reach the conclusion that Pennywise has all of the adults under some sort of spell that prohibits them from seeing him. The adults of Derry are shown to be villainous in their own right as well. The adults of Derry are shown to be true villains of the story in the same way as Pennywise.

Can Pennywise hurt you if you're not scared?

He's a demon and the general idea is if you are not scare, it will only be harder for Pennywise to kill you as he needs to bait you. He can kill you if he wants to anytime and doesn't care. Although, if you are not scared, he will either leave you be for a little while or just kill you in the instant .

What can destroy Pennywise?

The rest of the group realizes they can defeat it by shrinking it and therefore weakening it, which they achieve by standing up to it. They take out IT's heart and proceed to crush it, finally killing it. Eddie dies and his body is left behind.

Who can easily defeat Pennywise?

Alucard - Hellsing Ultimate

Considered the most destructive weapon in the Hellsing Corporation, Alucard is an omnipotent, immortal manifestation of Dracula. Since he cannot be killed, he would destroy Pennywise with this wide array of supernatural skills.

How did kids beat Pennywise?

The spider-clown shrinks as the Losers hurl taunts at It, until it's tiny and weak enough that they pluck out its heart and squash it into nothingness. In the end, they defeat Pennywise by, uh, making him feel really bad about himself. It author Stephen King.

Was Pennywise originally a girl?

Throughout the book, It is generally referred to as male, usually appearing as Pennywise. The Losers come to believe It may be female after seeing it in the form of a monstrous giant spider that lays eggs.

Why does Pennywise have a red balloon?

Bill Denbrough described them as writhing, destroying orange lights, and IT as an endless, crawling, hairy creature made of that same light. The theory, then, suggests that the balloons are a representation of the deadlights and contain the souls of the children killed by IT.

Who is Pennywise daughter?

Kersh is Pennywise's daughter. Or at least the daughter of the man who originally had Pennywise's face. Additionally, the trailer offers a first glimpse of Bill (James McAvoy), Ben (Jay Ryan), Richie (Bill Hader), Eddie (James Ransone), and Mike (Isaiah Mustafa) back together.

Is Pennywise a human or not?

“Pennywise the Clown” was never human. He doesn't have a “backstory” in that sense. He was never anything other than what he is in the book.

Why does Pennywise smile?

He explains to Conan how in his childhood, he used the demonic smile to frighten his little brother after learning his older brother Gustav was also able to point his lip.

What does Pennywise actually want?

It's primary goal is to feed on humans, generally preferring children over adults since they were easier to scare and manipulate. According to the creature, frightened flesh tastes better and uses fear to "salt the meat".