The demonic clown Pennywise is recognized as the antagonist of Stephen King’s IT, but the clown plays a much bigger part in the author’s book universe.
Dedicated Stephen King fans know that across his dozens of books there are interconnected universes. Not every character is isolated in their own individual story, and they sometimes reappear in other books as either an easter egg or as a significant character. Pennywise is one of those characters that has appeared in books beside his own, further cementing his status as an ancient evil with pervasive influence in Derry, Maine, where IT takes place, and beyond.
Fans of the recent two-part IT movie and the 1990 miniseries may be interested to know that they can find Stephen King’s arguably most famous antagonist throughout the rest of his bibliography. Here are some of Pennywise’s most significant appearances outside of IT and how they connect to the King universe.
Pennywise In Other Stephen King Books
While it’s true that Pennywise’s most significant appearance remains in IT, he has popped up in other stories either as a quick cameo or as part of the overall lore. As far as lore references that further flesh out what Pennywise actually is as a being, the references to him in The Dark Tower are probably the most significant. Readers learn that IT, the creature and true form of Pennywise, isn’t a unique being in this universe and instead is part of a race of seemingly eternal monsters. In The Dark Tower, the main antagonist, the Crimson King, shares attributes with Pennywise. Both emit Deadlights, which are supernatural lights that human beings cannot comprehend, so they go mad when gazing upon them. Another being, Dandelo, is associated with Pennywise because he, too, is an ancient evil that appears as a giant insect in his true form, and feeds off the emotions of his victims.
The Dark Tower establishes more lore about Pennywise, but he also gets mentioned directly in other books. In The Tommyknockers, the protagonist passes through Derry where he swears he sees a clown watching him from the sewers, though he waves this off as a hallucination. Pennywise, while not seen directly, is also mentioned in both Dreamcatcher and 11/22/63, which have parts that take place in Derry. In Dreamcatcher, a memorial for the town’s victims is vandalized with the message “Pennywise Lives.” Meanwhile, in 11/22/63, during the discussion of a violent crime, someone mentions that “it wasn’t the clown” that did it, suggesting Pennywise has also appeared in this universe.
There’s no question IT will always be the definitive Pennywise tale, however it’s clear Stephen King intended the character’s influence to be pervasive. It remains to be seen if King will make Pennywise the main antagonist of a book again, or if he’ll create another character meant to be from the same species of shapeshifting, powerful monsters that feed on fear.
Next: Pennywise Isn’t the Only Member of IT’s Species (In Stephen King’s Books)
