In Stephen King’s novel It, the shape-shifting creature that terrorizes Derry is Pennywise.
Pennywise usually appears as Pennywise the Dancing Clown, using a form that attracts children before feeding on their fear. The creature is an ancient, supernatural being whose true nature is far stranger than its clown disguise. It can transform into images based on its victims’ deepest fears.
The story alternates between the Losers’ Club as children in the late 1950s and as adults returning to Derry in the 1980s. This structure shows how the characters’ childhood encounter continues to shape their lives. The town itself is important: Derry’s history is marked by repeated disasters and disappearances linked to the creature’s activity.
A common mix-up is calling Pennywise the creature’s full name. “Pennywise” is the best-known identity or form, while the novel generally refers to the entity as It. The character became even more widely recognized through television and film adaptations.