The Merchant

The Merchant is a supporting character in the survival horror game Resident Evil 4. As his title implies, he is a merchant of weapons and valuables.
He was voiced by , who also voiced Leon Kennedy in RE4, , and the movie. He was voiced by in the .
==Biography==
While the Merchant primarily functions as a shop for players, he still "acts" as a character.
He is a Ganado who somehow managed to escape Osmund Saddler's control, and does business with Leon Kennedy and Ada Wong. He appears throughout the Village, Castle and Island in Safe Areas, often with a Typewriter next to him. The Merchant also has a hideout which can accessed at the lake where the player defeats Del Lago. In his hideout, he'll have weapons on display and will be in business like he always is when encountered.
He is a weapons peddler who dresses in a long, black coat. A pale blue flame marks the locations of his shops, and he appears capable of traveling great distances in the blink of an eye. He carries a wide selection of weapons inside his huge backpack and coat. It is obvious from his appearance that he is a Ganado, but he doesn't seem to regard outsiders as a threat, and will deal with anyone as long as the price is right. No one knows how he gets his weapons, but his selection is enough to impress even Leon. He's very good at his trade, flattering the buyer with phrases like "The choice of an avid gun collector!" and "You'll need guts to buy that weapon!"
The Merchant reveals himself to Leon after he wakes up in the house in the Valley by beckoning him from outside a window. When Leon goes around the outside of the building, the Merchant shows off his merchandise. Ada later runs into him inside the Cave, before he properly sets up his shop (which includes lighting a torch that emits blue fire). Leon crosses him in this same area when he is ready, and he greets Leon. He is also encountered by Ada on various occasions. He was last seen before Leon fought Saddler.
The Merchant was originally believed/classed to be a non-canon character, merely there to assist the player character. However, as of , the Merchant was revealed to be a completely canonical character by the Duke, who occasionally uses his famous quote of "What're ya buyin'?" and even remembers the Merchant as an old friend.
The remake indicates a practical purpose behind his blue torches to mark his shops. Ashley Graham is shown warding off Armaduras with a lantern that shares the same flames, thus allowing her to escape their reach. Since these blue flames negatively affect Plagas to a lesser extent than UV lights, it would be make sense that the Merchant uses said torches to keep his parasite docile, as to be able to ignore Saddler's telepathic orders against Los Illuminados' enemies, especially if they happen to be his would-be customers.
==Gameplay==
The Merchant is interacted with by walking up to him and pressing the button that corresponds with the "TALK" action, the only exception being the first two times Leon encounters him and players "visit" him at the start of a new round.
The Merchant will appear at various points throughout Resident Evil 4 and Separate Ways, offering new upgrades and merchandise the further the player progresses. The Merchant usually sets up a blue torch near him when he is in business, and most of the areas in which he appears are free of enemies, though they are not safe-zones.
The player can actually kill the Merchant. His body will not fade, and he will respawn in that specific spot after some time in Amateur and Normal difficulties, but not in Professional, where he will never come back. As well as being a salesman, he also runs the Shooting Ranges in the Castle and Island. The Merchant also has a bottle cap modelled after him. He is one of the regular prizes that can be won when playing Game C and his voice clip is him saying "Welcome!"
Players can shop by using s they find, or obtain in exchange for selling items or treasures. For the list of buying and selling prices, see here. When upgrading weapon Capacity, the held ammo resets to full. There is a minor side quest involving destroying Blue Medallions for the Merchant at the beginning of the main game, which the player can start before even meeting him. Doing so will reward Leon with a specialized handgun.
==Locations==
In the village, he is found at the Arms merchant's hideout, Besieged hut, Cave, Lift, and Valley areas. In the castle, he is found at the Castle entrance, Castle wall, Temple, Garden, Gallery, Lobby, Old aqueduct A, Area before the mine, Old castle ruins, Tower, and Pier areas.
==Items==
===Equipment To Buy===
===Treasure To Sell===
==Quotes==
* "Welcome!"
* "Got a selection o' good things on sale, stranger."
* "Got some rare things on sale, stranger."
* "What're ya buyin'?"
* "What're ya sellin'?"
* "Ahhh! I'll buy it at a high price!"
* "Heheheha! Thank you!"
* "Is that all, stranger?"
* "Not enough cash, stranger."
* "Come back any time."
==Trivia==
*A different merchant appears in the mobile game .
*A card in Resident Evil: The Deck Building Game is modelled after him, called "The Merchant (AC-006)". He also appears in .
*In the " Artworks" book, there is a piece of concept art for unused EX Costumes that shows the Merchant on Leon's back.
*According to the Beta Art works of "The Art of ", another merchant-type character would have made an appearance, but was removed in the end. A leftover placeholder model for this Merchant can be found in the game's files. It has a flat orange texture and non-detailed model, with the Kanji for "商 Shō" being imprinted on the front.
==External Links==
* Quotes
* Quotes (Remake)
==Licensing==
This article contains content derived from the "Merchant" article on the Resident Evil Wiki, licensed under CC-BY-SA.
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