It: Welcome to Derry Episode 4 Ending Explained: The Origin of Pennywise Fully Explained

IT: Welcome to Derry reaches its gripping midpoint with Episode 4, a chapter that pushes the horror, mythology, and emotional depth of the series to new heights. This episode not only intensifies Pennywise’s presence—lurking in the shadows and manipulating reality—but also unveils the ancient origins of the creature through a chilling Native American legend. Episode 4 skillfully expands the lore of Derry, exposes more of the town’s corruption, and sets the stage for an explosive second half of the season.

Final Explanation IT Episode 4: Welcome to Derry – The Origin of Pennywise Fully Explained

In this comprehensive breakdown, we dive into every major event, theory, symbolism, and connection to Stephen King’s universe that Episode 4 reveals, offering a complete explanation of everything that unfolds. The fourth episode takes a decisive turn: on the one hand, Pennywise intensifies the terror on the children; On the other hand, we finally discover the mythical origin of the entity and the way in which it was contained centuries ago. The chapter closes by connecting directly with one of the most iconic places in the It universe: the Neibolt house.

Pennywise’s Growing Influence: Fear Without Direct Appearance

Although Pennywise still avoids showing his full form openly, Episode 4 proves that his influence over Derry is escalating faster than ever. His presence can now be felt not only by children but increasingly by adults, demonstrating that the creature’s power grows with the rising fear around town.

After the children’s terrifying encounter in the cemetery, their revealed photographs provide no supernatural evidence, leaving them helpless before the police. Even the clearest image—Pennywise in a hat—develops as nothing more than a harmless clown. This distortion marks Pennywise’s growing mastery over perception, suppressing proof that could expose his existence.

Meanwhile, Ronnie’s father remains wrongly imprisoned, compounded by his refusal to reveal the alibi that could free him—an issue deeply entwined with the racial and social injustice of 1960s Derry.

A Traumatizing River Attack: Pennywise Targets Will

Up until now, Will had not been a primary target of Pennywise, but that changes dramatically in Episode 4.

While spending time at the river with his father, Will experiences one of the episode’s most disturbing sequences. Left alone momentarily, he is pulled underwater by a hand resembling his father’s. Instead of Pennywise’s clown face, Will sees Leroy’s burned face, terrifying him with the haunting words: “You will burn too.”

This hallucination stems from Leroy’s wartime plane crash, an event that traumatized Will as a child. The scene illustrates a fundamental truth about Pennywise:
He feeds on the deepest personal nightmares, reanimating them to terrorize his prey.

The attack leaves physical marks on Will’s arms, proving that Pennywise’s illusions manifest physically—blurring the line between nightmare and reality. When the iconic red balloon appears again, both Will and his father understand that something monstrous is lurking around them.

Why Pennywise Doesn’t Kill Right Away: The Fear Hormone Theory

Will presents an intriguing theory: Pennywise delays killing his victims because fear chemically enhances their “flavor.”

Will explains that the monster stalks, manipulates, and terrifies people to increase adrenaline and cortisol, creating the heightened emotional state Pennywise prefers. Just like a predator playing with prey, Pennywise escalates terror until he “smells enough fear” to consume.

This aligns with the creature’s behavior across the Stephen King universe—fear is not just a preference, but a biological requirement for Pennywise.

Hank’s Hidden Alibi: Racism, Shame, and Social Fear

Ronnie’s father, Hank, could easily prove his innocence—yet he refuses to reveal where he was during the attack. His reason exposes the darker, human forms of evil residing in Derry.

Hank spent the night with a married white woman, a relationship that could ruin her life and put his in fatal danger due to the racial tensions of the era. He would rather face prison than expose her to violence or risk lynching from racist townspeople.

Charlotte’s attempt to help him using legal technicalities becomes another uphill battle, especially with a police chief already compromised and afraid after earlier threats.

Marge’s Psychological Collapse: Pennywise Manipulates the School

The episode also explores how Pennywise’s influence sows cruelty among teens. Patty and Marge devise a scheme to embarrass Lilly in front of their entire school, motivated by jealousy and social power.

Just as Marge begins to regret her role, Pennywise intervenes. He forces her to hallucinate her eyes bursting out of their sockets, driving her to claw at her own face. Lilly intervenes, but the scene is framed as if Lilly is the attacker.

This manipulation ensures Marge remains silent, increasing Lilly’s vulnerability and maximizing suffering—exactly what Pennywise delights in.

Hallorann and the Tribal Vision: The Origin of the Creature

The final part of the episode takes the most revealing turn. General Shaw allows Hallorann to use his abilities to access Taniel’s memory. What he discovers connects directly to the mythology of It:

• Millions of years ago, an evil spirit fell to Earth inside a star.
• That star became a sacred weapon to combat it.
• The entity fed on settlers who ignored tribal warnings, becoming more powerful.
• A warrior tried to destroy him, but finally devised another plan: lock him up.

The method was to create a circle around the forest with thirteen hidden fragments of the star, capable of containing, not destroying, the monster.

Hallorann gets Taniel —in his childhood memory— to tell him where to find those remains:

“Follow the tunnels under the old well.”

Pennywise Returns at Night: Will Encounters the Clown Again

Will’s nightmares continue long after the river incident? In a disturbing nighttime sequence, he looks out his telescope—and sees Pennywise standing motionless beside a tree.

The sight drives him into panic, and though Leroy initially dismisses it as someone upset about his wife’s involvement with Hank’s case, a red balloon floating eerily in the tree confirms the truth:

Pennywise is Targeting Their Family

The Origin of Pennywise: Native Legend of “El Galloo”

Episode 4’s most groundbreaking revelation occurs when General Shaw allows Hallorann to interrogate Taniel, Rose’s nephew. When Taniel refuses to speak, Hallorann enters his mind using The Shining, unlocking a memory that reveals the terrifying Native American legend of Pennywise.

According to the story of the Poniente tribe:

• An evil cosmic spirit was expelled from the darkest corner of the sky.
• It crashed to Earth inside a shooting star, lying dormant for ages.
• The natives named the creature El Galloo.

The creature awakened when humans settled nearby, attacking those who entered the forest. A tribal ancestor crafted a weapon from the meteor fragment, capable of injuring the spirit. But this was not enough to contain it entirely.

Over time, colonists arrived, fed the beast with new fears, and empowered it to roam beyond the woods.

Necani and the Star Fragments: Creating the Perimeter

A young warrior, Necani, daughter of Chief Seski, ventured into the Galloo’s forest to gather more meteor fragments. Her goal: strengthen the perimeter to trap the entity within the woods.

Her mission succeeded—but at a devastating cost. Everyone who searched for her fell victim to the Galloo, each hunted using their own worst fear.

Necani survived and established the perimeter that kept Pennywise trapped for generations.

This explains why Pennywise didn’t attack Shaw or Rose in earlier episodes—they crossed the boundary, protected by the ancient fragments.

Taniel reveals that the fragments are buried near the abandoned house seen in the IT films, the entrance to Pennywise’s lair.

A Terrifying Future Ahead

With Pennywise’s origins unveiled, the mystery deepens:

• Why does Pennywise prefer the clown shape?
• How strong is the perimeter today?
• Can the children use the star fragments to fight back?
• What will happen now that Pennywise is hunting Will?

The second half of the season promises escalating horror and long-awaited answers.