One of the buzziest details in HBO’s ‘It: Welcome to Derry’ is the parade of turtles on a high school sign, as a costumed mascot, and dangling from a character’s bracelet, among other sightings.
Viewers familiar with Stephen King’s sprawling horror multiverse immediately noticed, but for newcomers, these reptiles might seem random or even oddly cute in such a grim setting.
Much of the first episode’s turtle presence riffs on real-world references, like the “Bert the Turtle says duck and cover” sign outside Derry High, a nod to a famous 1951 PSA about nuclear drills.
But the symbolism goes much deeper, and sharp-eyed fans have cataloged turtle appearances throughout the original ‘It’ movies, from Bill’s Lego turtle to a sticker on Beverly’s book.
In ‘Welcome to Derry,’ the turtle motif surfaces most meaningfully when Matty offers Lilly a turtle charm from his Cracker Jack box, which she then wears every day.
Notably, Lilly is the only character to survive the episode’s gruesome movie theater incident, sparking speculation that turtles might mean more than just luck; they could be a cryptic signal of unseen protection or cosmic intervention.
The showrunners aren’t hiding their intentions, as producer Andy Muschietti previously teased that ‘Welcome to Derry’ would link up with lore from King’s ‘Dark Tower’ universe, a move that leaves room for turtles to become an even more central part of the story.
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Instead of placing these details as quirky background trivia, HBO’s prequel chooses to highlight them as major set pieces and plot points, signaling to audiences that deeper connections are coming.
Maturin: The Cosmic Counterweight to Pennywise’s Evil
So, why turtles? That answer lies in Stephen King’s novels and the mythos of Maturin, a godlike turtle who plays a pivotal role in King’s complex storytelling canon.
Within the books, Maturin is a cosmic being who both upholds the beams of the multiversal Dark Tower and accidentally throws up the entire universe in a fit of celestial indigestion.
Where Pennywise embodies unstoppable destruction and cruelty, Maturin stands for creation, wisdom, and improbable salvation, a benevolent counterforce that sometimes intervenes just when hope seems lost.
Maturin was referenced, but largely omitted from previous screen adaptations of ‘It,’ frustrating book loyalists who see the turtle as the key to understanding why the Losers Club can beat Pennywise at all.
In King’s original story, Bill Denbrough encounters Maturin during a climactic confrontation with Pennywise, learning from the turtle how to defeat the shapeshifting entity through the mystical Ritual of Chüd.
Although the movies tease the deadlights and offer nods to a “good” supernatural force, they stop short of depicting Maturin in any real way.
The appearance of so many turtles in ‘Welcome to Derry’ signals a long-awaited payoff for King fans: the series looks set to bring Maturin from obscure book lore into a visible role as guide and protector within the TV universe.
Critics and superfans, as noted by sites like Screen Rant and Esquire, see this as a way for the franchise to finally flesh out the full cosmology behind Derry, revealing that Pennywise’s terror isn’t the only supernatural game in town.
If the turtles keep appearing, the series may even introduce audiences to a showdown where cosmic good directly faces off with supernatural evil.
All Eyes on Derry: What Turtle Symbolism Means for The Franchise’s Future
As ‘Welcome to Derry’ continues and more episodes air, speculation flies about how turtles might drive the larger story or alter the fate of its characters.
The overt references suggest that, for once, an adaptation is prepared to connect the dots between disparate Stephen King books, setting the stage for possible crossovers with the ‘Dark Tower’ and other elements from the wider horror universe.
Online fandoms are ablaze with theories: Is the turtle charm really why Lilly survives? Could the mascot or the sign reflect more than period nostalgia, hinting at supernatural guardianship over Derry’s children?
Some believe that the show will finally explain recurring patterns of misery and tragedy in Derry not as random fate, but as the battleground in a war between destructive and creative cosmic entities.
As screenwriter Jason Fuchs and executive producer Stephen King collaborate on new scripts, there’s reason to expect more explicit Maturin scenes, perhaps even a concrete role for the turtle in future plotlines.
Most importantly, the show’s embrace of turtle lore offers fans old and new a way to see light within relentless darkness.
Whether through small charms or larger-than-life mascots, turtles are poised to become symbols of hope in the nightmare world of Derry, reminding viewers that even in horror, there’s always a force working against unstoppable evil.
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