It: Welcome to Derry finale: Every character death explained

The prequel of the acclaimed IT movies, It: Welcome to Derry arrived in October 2025, and has now concluded with the eighth episode before the year ends. What makes the series worth watching is that the story isn't focused on the Losers’ Club again.

Instead, it's about how Derry became the kind of place where Pennywise could thrive. The events take place in the year 1962, which is almost 27 years before the events of the first movie.

Many aspects of the show have been borrowed from the interlude pieces of Stephen King's original work. In the first episode, a child disappears in the early days of Derry (shortly after their family has moved there) and this is how a brutal chain of events kicks off in the town.

Pennywise begins by manipulating the High School kids like Lily, Rich, Ronnie and more. Each of them has been struggling with their own issues, and Pennywise makes sure to use their pain and grief against them.

But in the finale of It: Welcome to Derry, the foe does not rely on manipulation. He finally reveals himself and his plan, and as the events unfold, some characters lose their lives.

Find out the major deaths in the finale below.

It: Welcome to Derry episode 8: Every character who died in the finale, explained

Pennywise in the frozen river (Image via HBO)

Deaths are common in It: Welcome to Derry, but when it comes to some of the major characters, the demise hits hard. And to make the last episode even more chilling, it begins with a death, which isn't just horrifying to see, but also affects the students mentally and emotionally.

So, here's a look at every character who died in the last episode of It: Welcome to Derry:

1) Principal Dunleavy

Principal Dunleavy killed (Image via HBO)

The principal of Derry High School appears in the opening scene of the finale episode. After Pennywise blankets Derry in a thick, unnatural fog, he heads straight towards the school and announces that the classes have been canceled.

Through the announcement, the antagonist asks students to assemble in the auditorium, where they see the principal. Dunleavy starts by welcoming the students and then revealing that they have Pennywise the Dancing Clown as a guest today.

The curtains open, and Principal Dunleavy falls into Pennywise's arms and is killed. The evil clown pops Dunleavy's eyes and then breaks his neck. The moments become incredibly frightening for the students as Pennywise tosses parts of Dunleavy's dead body among them.

Also Read: It: Welcome to Derry showrunners talk about the finale of the supernatural horror, call it “haunting and magical”

2) Taniel

Taniel in the last episode (Image via HBO)

Joshua Odjick, Taniel is a young Indigenous man who plays a crucial role in the fight against Pennywise in It: Welcome to Derry. He is Rose Hallorann’s nephew and is trusted with an ancient ceremonial dagger, which becomes a key object in defeating the clown.

As seen in the finale of the HBO TV series, Taniel is killed when the military opens fire near the frozen river as he tries to reach the lightning-struck tree and help trap Pennywise using the cosmic dagger. It's a sudden and heartbreaking death, as Taiel was also an important figure in the town.

3) General Francis Shaw

General Francis Shaw confronted Pennywise (Image via HBO)

General Francis Shaw is a powerful U.S. Army lieutenant general who takes part in the secret government mission that aims to find and control a mysterious force believed to be powerful enough to help win the Cold War. That force is Pennywise, but the military takes him as a weapon they can use against rivals instead of a supernatural threat.

In the last episode of It: Welcome to Derry, Shaw is killed by the clown, who recognises him from his childhood. This also explains that Pennywise has a long memory and that he has the ability to reach across generations.

4) Milkman

The girls took the milkman's truck (Image via HBO)

Another death in the finale of It: Welcome to Derry of the unnamed milkman. When Lily, Marge, and Ronnie are trying to figure out how Pennywise took all the students, they find the dead body of the milkman near his truck.

Marge gets on the truck and starts driving. Though she doesn't know how to drive, she has seen he uncle and is following what she remembers. Later, the truck gets hit by a tree, and the girls continue their mission to find the missing students.

Other characters who died before the finale in It: Welcome to Derry

Rich's spirit during his funeral (Image via HBO)

Among the characters who died before episode 8, or are explained to be deceased, include:

Rich Santos: His spirit shows up in episode 8 to help kids fight against Pennywise, and after the clown is defeated, his friends, parents, and others from the town honor him with a funeral.

Elfrida Marsh: She's Beverly Marsh’s mother, and she committed suicide after 27 years in her hospital room. This is shown through a flash-forward of It: Chapter One.

So, which death was the most unexpected and shocking for you? Share in the comments!