In IT: Welcome to Derry episode 7, Pennywise exposes Will Hanlon to its “Deadlights,” leaving him alive but mentally overwhelmed and likely in a catatonic or trance-like state rather than killing him outright. This is done so Pennywise can use Will strategically as bait to manipulate the other children connected to him.
What Pennywise Does To Will
Pennywise appears in Will’s home and opens its mouth (or head) to reveal the Deadlights, the blinding, supernatural lights that are its true essence. In the lore, even a brief look at the Deadlights can shatter a person’s mind, causing paralysis, insanity, or psychic entrapment.
Instead of immediately devouring Will, Pennywise leaves him in a severely incapacitated state, similar to what happens to Ingrid Kersh after she is exposed to the Deadlights earlier in the episode. Will is therefore not dead, but effectively neutralized and placed under Pennywise’s influence, with the long-term consequences for his mind and soul left for the finale to explore.
Why Pennywise Does It
Sources discussing the episode explain that Pennywise chooses to put Will into this state as a calculated move. Will is part of an important bloodline in Derry’s history, and using him as living bait allows Pennywise to lure the proto–Losers’ Club (and potentially Dick Hallorann) into further danger. This tactic lets Pennywise try to eliminate multiple threats at once while keeping a powerful leverage point over the other characters who care about Will.
