Andy Muschietti's HBO Max series, IT: Welcome to Derry, has carefully built its terrifying narrative, finally unveiling Pennywise (Bill Skarsgård) in its fifth episode. This pivotal moment sees the killer clown target Lilly (Clara Stack), a character marked by tragedy, only to be unexpectedly halted by a mysterious weapon discovered in the sewer. This 'star dagger' represents a newly introduced method to combat the ancient entity, hinting at a potential end to Its' reign of terror in Derry, Maine, in 1962, despite its inevitable return in later installments of this prequel series.

The series had already delved into Pennywise's enigmatic origins in the fourth episode, 'The Great Swirling Apparatus of Our Planet's Function'. Through Dick Hallorann's (Chris Chalk) 'shine' into Taniel's (Joshua Odjick) mind, the Indigenous people's ancient stories revealed the entity to be an alien that crash-landed on Earth centuries ago via a falling star. The Shokopiwah tribe, who had long known of this 'Galloo', crafted a weapon—a dagger—from the remnants of this very star, capable of fighting the creature. When Sesqui (Morningstar Angeline) was killed by the entity, her daughter, Necari (Kiawentiio), buried 13 shards of this material in a circle, trapping the entity in a field. These 'pillars' have been guarded by the tribe's descendants ever since, with Hallorann discovering their location beneath the Neibolt house.

Episode 5 sees multiple factions converging in the sewers beneath Neibolt Street. The U.S. military, accompanied by Taniel wielding one of the star daggers, descends into the tunnels, facing their deepest fears. Concurrently, a new group of 'Losers' kids, led by Matty (Miles Ekhardt)—who seemingly died in the premiere but mysteriously returned—also ventures below. Matty deceives them, claiming to have escaped the entity, and lures them in search of another 'survivor', Phil (Jack Molloy Legault). However, Matty is dramatically revealed to be the entity itself, transforming into Pennywise.

As Will's father, Leroy Hanlon (Jovan Adepo), rescues the other children, Lilly becomes separated, finding herself trapped at a dead end. Pennywise corners her, cruelly taunting her about Matty's death and momentarily manifesting as her deceased father before lunging for the kill. Yet, in a crucial turn, the clown freezes, unable to cross an invisible barrier. Lying at Lilly's feet in the knee-deep water is the very star dagger that Taniel had previously dropped. The entity, repelled by the weapon, slinks away, leaving Lilly to pick up the newfound means of defense.

While Stephen King's lore has explored various ways to combat Pennywise—from silver slugs in the novel and miniseries to the metaphysical Ritual of Chüd in different adaptations—IT: Welcome to Derry firmly establishes the star dagger as its unique 'kryptonite' for this particular cycle. This weapon provides a tangible, physical defense against the shape-shifting horror, distinguishing it from the psychological battles of previous iterations.

Lilly Bainbridge emerges as a particularly fitting character to wield this powerful artifact. Plagued by immense fear and trauma—including the self-blamed death of her father, two stints in a psychiatric hospital, social ostracization, and witnessing the violent deaths of friends—she embodies the very essence of vulnerability that Pennywise preys upon. Her discovery of the dagger suggests she is uniquely poised to confront both her deepest fears and the entity itself. With this ancient weapon now in the hands of one of Derry's most fearful yet resilient children, accompanied by Dick Hallorann's powerful shine, the stage is set for an unprecedented fight back against Pennywise.