Merchant

Got sumthin' that might interest ya', stranger.

The Merchant is a hooded unnamed Ganado who aids Leon during Resident Evil 4 by buying and selling weapons, upgrades and healing aids. He is infected with Las Plagas yet was one of few immune to Osmund Saddler's Master Plaga.

Biography
How he became a Ganado is not known, but he may have been infected with the other villagers and the Plaga failed to take control of him (note: he is suspiciously unharmed by the P.R.L. 412). Perhaps he is infected by the Modified Subordinate Plaga which cannot control any Plaga but also cannot be controlled and allows its host free will. He speaks with a distinctive Cockney accent, indicating that he is not from the local area. He carries a large amount of weaponry and ammunition in his coat and backpack, though he will not sell the player ammunition for gameplay reasons (although you can buy ammunition in the Mobile Edition of the game). He is the main source of weapons in the game, instead of the player picking up weapons as he progresses (although several weapons can still be picked up in-game, and weapons available for purchase are unlocked as progress is made in the game).

The Merchant in each area can be killed although no benefit is gained from doing so. Killing the Merchant in any area causes him to never appear in that location for the rest of the game. It should be noted that although he appears in many places with seemingly impossible speed at times, this is likely only a game mechanic, and he is only supposed to be one man in canon.

While examining the Merchant's weaponry, Leon states that he has enough artillery to "start a small war". The Merchant tends to say things when you do business like, "*Laughs*, thank you" (when the player sells him something); "Stranger! *laughs* What d'you need that for? You goin' huntin' an elephant?" (if the player gets The Handcannon); "Stranger... Stranger... now that's a weapon" (Chicago Typewriter or Rocket Launcher); "Not only will you need cash but you'll need guts to buy that weapon" (Mine Thrower warning of the nature of the gun). He is usually found near a flaming blue torch (except for once, late in the game) away from other Ganados either behind buildings or inside caves, but usually keeping a low profile (to anyone who doesn't know about the blue torches anyway).

In several secluded locations, the Merchant has set up a small stand, where he keeps several weapons on display stands. He has copious amounts of ammunition, such as belts of 7.62x51mm NATO ammo, Hand Grenades, artillery shells, RPG-7 rounds, and dozens of ammunition boxes such as Red Hawk Handgun bullets and Heavy Load Shotgun shells. Despite the hefty stock of weapons and ammunition, the player cannot purchase a majority of the items in the shop, including ammunition and grenades. In addition, the weapons displayed include a Sig 552, which is not in RE 4. Some weapons, like the Striker and Chicago Typewriter, are visible in the shop but cannot be purchased until certain requirements are fulfilled, such as advancing far enough into the game or completing minigames.

Several of the Merchant's "shops" seem to be improvised or designed to be portable. Similar tables can be seen at many of his shops. Many times, the merchant has nowhere to store his stock but the player still has access to his full stock.

The Merchant appears in many strange places; for example, after Leon is plunged down a spike-filled pit (but luckily stops his fall), the Merchant is standing beside the spikes amongst many dead bodies, with a full suite of grenades, a typewriter, and ammunition on a nearby table. On another occasion, the Merchant has a fully stocked shop inside one of Saddler's research facilities; and it seems unlikely that he would be allowed to reside there. The Merchant is perhaps an opportunistic salesman; he repeatedly encounters Leon on his path, standing in areas where he must pass in order to reach his objectives. He appears in previously-locked houses, and runs in to Leon most likely not by accident most of the time.

The Merchant also seems to host a shooting range, which can be found in multiple areas inside the Castle, although this is NOT canon, and is instead intended for gameplay purposes only.

It is unknown if the Merchant managed to escape the Island before it exploded. A blue torch can be seen as Leon comes down from the lift after killing Saddler (when Ashley says "It's gonna what?!?", when Leon pulls her & the camera pans to the exit) but the Merchant is nowhere to be seen.

Resident Evil: The Deck Building Game
The Merchant appears in the Resident Evil DBG as an Action Card. The Merchant appears in several in-game scenarios including one themed around him; "Whaddya Buyin'?". The Merchant is a useful card early on in the game. It appropriately gives the player using it +1 Buy and +20 Gold, as well as 1 extra card. The Merchant can come in very handy for characters such as Ada Wong and the promotional Jill Valentine (The former having an ability to lose a Buy in exchange for an Action and the latter able to obtain a second Buy anyway). An equivelant to The Merchant has yet to be revealed for Alliance.

Gallery
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