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Resident Evil 4 Merchant

Resident Evil 4’s Merchant is a mysterious fellow, but we can tell you everything there is to know, including why you should speak to him.

Residenty Evil 4's Merchant holding his jacket open to show his supplies

Who is Resident Evil 4’s Merchant? He’s a character you want to acquaint yourself with. Look, Leon has already dealt with enough rubbish thanks to unspeakable viruses, so give the lad a break and kit him out properly. RE4’s Merchant is a mysterious figure who happens to have guns, ammo, upgrades, and healing items – we don’t care where he gets his supplies from. We just care about buying them. Saving Ashley is a real pain, you need all the help you can get.

Before you go and meet the Merchant, you might want to meet other Resident Evil characters, such as Resident Evil’s Leon, Resident Evil’s Ada Wong, Resident Evil’s Claire, Resident Evil’s Nemesis, Resident Evil’s Tyrant, and Resident Evil’s Jill. Yes, all of them kick some serious butt and are some of the most recognizable names in the survival horror genre.

Here’s everything you need to know about Resident Evil 4’s Merchant.

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Who is Resident Evil 4’s Merchant?

As the name indicates, the Merchant is a swell guy who’s ready to give you whatever items and weapons you need. You know, in exchange for money. Honestly, not much is known about this mysterious figure beyond his love of cash and the phrase ‘what are ya buying?’

The Merchant first shows up in chapter two, so you don’t have too long to wait until you can purchase things from him. To be more specific, when you leave the house Leon wakes up in, you immediately find Resident Evil 4’s Merchant waiting for you. Not only does he offer useful items, including those that can heal you, but also upgrades for your weapons.

Whenever you see him, you should make a point of seeing his wares, as sometimes you can cash in on an offer for new firearms. These deals only appear in specific chapters, so make sure you take advantage of them while you can.

Resident Evil 4 Merchant’s personality

Besides his fondness for firearms and watching the carnage unfold on the island and in the village, we can’t tell you much about The Merchant’s personality. Perhaps we can meet him for a beer sometime – what are ya having?

Resident Evil 4's Merchant stood behind a table next to a type writer

Resident Evil 4 Merchant’s appearances

The Merchant only appears in Resident Evil 4 and its subsequent versions. However, The Duke does mention him in Resident Evil Village. Perhaps the pair of them belong to a cult of merchants, and they divvy out who gets to go to the most revolting and dilapidated villages across Europe. If that’s the case, we honestly aren’t sure who got the worst deal.

Why doesn’t the Merchant get attacked?

Honestly, it’s probably very similar to what the Duke has going on in Resident Evil Village. The Merchant more than likely has a deal with Salazar, meaning the Resident Evil 4 villain has no reason to target him, especially as the Merchant is incredibly good at what he does – acquiring goods no one else knows how to get, particularly in a remote village.

Is the Resident Evil 4 Merchant infected?

There’s no confirmation on whether or not the Merchant is infected with the Plagas virus. However, we’d wager that he isn’t, as he doesn’t mean harm to Leon and sells his wares. If he was infected, he’d likely fall victim like the other villagers. Perhaps the blue light he keeps nearby is what deters the virus, helping him to remain safe in an otherwise perilous area.

And that’s everything we can tell you about Resident Evil 4’s Merchant. To learn more about his rotund counterpart, check out our Resident Evil Village characters guide. We can also tell you all about the best Resident Evil games on Nintendo Switch, even if we’re yet to get a Resident Evil 4 Remake Switch port.