Many individuals might harbor a fear of clowns, yet it requires an exceptional character to captivate horror enthusiasts and heighten their curiosity about clowns. The sinister backstory of Pennywise the Dancing Clown reveals that he is not truly a clown, nor a mere mortal; in fact, he is a malevolent alien adopting the form and appearance embodying the fears of the individual whose energy it seeks to consume. In some interpretations, he is not an alien being, but rather a cosmic entity composed of energy imperceptible to the human eye. He is a formidable being, but genuine friendship and the courage of a group of often-bullied children are sufficient to overcome and banish him from their dimension. 

Chilling, and terrifying enough to frighten even the child actors involved in the “It” miniseries. However, there is more to Pennywise than initially apparent. From where does he originate? What makes him unique? And what is his fixation on children? Here is a compilation of all you need to know about the notorious, clever, and resilient clown. 

According to Stephen King’s novel “It,” Pennywise the Dancing Clown is an alien originating from a void encompassing the universe. He is merciless, heartless, and indifferent in his pursuit to consume the energy and flesh of any unfortunate planet he inhabits. He has existed since prehistoric times, feeding off the energy of Native American tribes upon their first arrival in the region. As the land eventually settled as Derry, Maine becomes more inhabited, Pennywise establishes a feeding cycle. The entity hibernates for thirty years, then awakens and feeds for an entire year before returning to dormancy. 

Since energy is often offered up in big doses of fear, Pennywise has figured out that the best way to get what it wants is to kill children, whose fears are easy to understand, manipulate and ascertain. That means that he must take on the form of what these children fear the most — which requires a special talent only an alien like him can offer up. While the kids never see him out of his clown costume, apparently in his purest form he is a painful kind of energy that cannot be seen with the naked eye without losing one’s’ sanity — deadlights. Both movie adaptations of “It” generally follow this interpretation of the character, with the creature’s final form being a large spider resting on a clutch of eggs in the “It” miniseries and book.

Primarily, Pennywise is a shapeshifting creature who can take on the form of its quarry’s biggest fears. Whether that’s as an evil clown, a person who is abusing and bullying them, or a horrifying phenomena, Pennywise becomes that creature. When the child is distracted, weakened and shocked, Pennywise then pounces. It’s implied in the television version of “It” that Pennywise literally eats his victims, which is much more blatantly portrayed in the 2017 film and Stephen King’s book.

Pennywise is also a master of psychological manipulation. If one is mentally weaker than the clown, then he can change reality to match their fears and beliefs, forcing them to do exactly what he wants. That ends up leaving the clown in charge of the destiny of its victims, and ultimately and typically results in their deaths. He can also appear wherever his intended victims dwell, bending space and time to torment them. Talk about being committed to evil! Fortunately, Pennywise has weaknesses — mainly the bravery and fortitude of its opponents as well as their own imagination. That’s what the Losers Club uses to defeat him, and what ultimately saves their lives.