Fans of Resident Evil 4 would fondly remember notable characters such as Leon Kennedy, Ada Wong, Jack Krauser, and everyone's favorite escort mission protagonist - Ashley Graham. However, fans might also fondly remember one other elusive character throughout Leon's adventure: the enigmatic Merchant.
Across all of Resident Evil's huge cast of characters, it's perhaps the Merchant that has made quite an impression on fans. Moreover, Capcom's unique take on his appearance and identity easily made him a fan-favorite. However, eagle-eyed fans might have some questions in mind regarding the Merchant's true nature. What's the current state of affairs with the mysterious Merchant for now?
10 Is He Actually Using Multiple Agents?
Fans of Resident Evil 4 can fondly remember testing out their new weapons at the Merchant, killing him in the process. However, they might get surprised to see the Merchant alive and well in another instance. Fans who want to use logic might think that, instead of the Merchant being a lone agent, he might actually be using multiple agents wearing the same clothes.
In that case, this tidbit explains why the Merchant is so good in his trade. For instance, he loves to compliment Leon and Ada whenever they buy expensive weapons from him. Alternatively, did Wesker and the Organization help the Merchant set up shop to ensure Leon stays alive long enough for his agents like Ada and Krauser to get the Plaga sample from him?
9 Is He In Possession Of A Ganado Repellant?
Interestingly, fans might wonder not just how the Merchant seems to be everywhere at once. Rather, fans might also wonder just how the Merchant can set up multiple shops in multiple hidden areas of the village, complete with shelves lined up with guns and ammo, as well as an entire shooting range. Given how tight-knit the village is, surely they have caught wind of the Merchant's shops, right?
Of course, this factoid is always possible - except if the Merchant actually has a "Ganado repellant" of some sort. Does the Merchant silently kill the Ganados himself? Perhaps the Merchant has some means of discouraging villagers from getting to his locations?
8 Is He Related To Other Ganado?
According to the official guide of Resident Evil 4, the Merchant might appear eccentric - but he has the tell-tale signs of a Ganado. Aside from living long enough in the village, players can observe that his eyes also glow in the dark. In turn, the superhuman resistance that Ganados have may also explain the Merchant's resistance to any attacks Leon might dish out on him.
Interestingly, if the Merchant truly has a Plaga in him, wouldn't damage from Leon prompt a mutation? If the Merchant simply "returned" back to life, does this mean the Merchant has a less potent (or more potent?) form of the Plaga in him?
7 Is He More Powerful Than Mendez Or Saddler?
Fans might settle at the conclusion that the Merchant actually has a Plaga inside of him. However, one might wonder about the implications of such an infestation. For instance, how come the Merchant doesn't answer to Saddler's calls, where all Ganados gather around Saddler should he wish? Moreover, how come the Merchant doesn't have any secondary mutations - as though he can actively control the Plaga?
In that case, does this mean the Merchant possesses powers that allow him to resist the Plaga's infestation? Or rather, does the Merchant have a potent virus that can counteract these effects? However, given his sheer arsenal, why wouldn't the Merchant actively help Leon in his mission?
6 Is He A Greedy Third Party?
If the Merchant doesn't want to help Leon in his mission, it's easy to think that the Merchant might simply be "in it for the money," like a typical arms dealer. Interestingly, this angle also makes sense. For instance, if the Merchant truly serves as a businessman more than a villager, then it makes sense for him to be the supplier of both Leon and the Ganados - given that the latter also seems to have powerful weapons such as Gatling guns and crossbows.
Moreover, the Merchant's elusive disguise might also help him "blend" better with the locals. This disguise might include red contacts, or an ability to resist Plaga infestation. Then again, this tidbit does ask another question: what entity has power enough to help the Merchant? Given the Merchant's elusiveness, is he related to other mysterious characters like HUNK?
5 Is He Truly Affected By The Plaga?
Fans who play through Resident Evil 4 will remember acquiring the ridiculously powerful PRL 412, or the Plaga Removal Laser. Unlike other naturally-acquired weapons in-game, Leon can only acquire the PRL 412 after defeating the game on Professional Mode. Moreover, due to its powerful nature, the PRL 412 easily takes 21 spaces in Leon's inventory. However, it can easily obliterate any opponent infected with Las Plagas in one to two shots - including bosses.
As per observation, the PRL 412 seems to annihilate Plagas using UV spectrum, given it leaves anything uninfested by the Plaga unharmed. Interestingly, while the PRL 412 kills almost any Ganado, it doesn't kill the Merchant. However, didn't the game imply that the Merchant is a Ganado?
4 Is He Related To Luis Sera's Grandfather?
Another interesting aspect of the Merchant would be his familiarity with the village's various shortcuts. After all, Leon can find the Merchant in most secret passageways and hidden pathways throughout the village. At first glance, this knowledge implies that the Merchant has an intimate knowledge of the village. However, notes from Fr. Bitores Mendez suggests otherwise.
Players who read Mendez's notes might find an interesting tidbit regarding the botanist Luis Sera. According to Mendez, he cannot seem to tail Sera properly throughout the village. In turn, he suspects that Sera used the same passageways his grandfather used to utilize back in the day. Mendez even said that, should the grandfather be alive, he would've used him as leverage to lure Sera out. In this case, did the Merchant meet Sera's grandfather?
3 Is He Luis Sera's Grandfather?
Further expanding the Luis Sera connection would be a theory that states that the Merchant may have been his grandfather entirely. Of course, Mendez's notes already imply that Sera's grandfather had died at some point before the game. However, characters such as Ada Wong and Wesker have a knack of faking their deaths to appear in future installments. In turn, it's not far-fetched for Sera's grandfather to the same.
Moreover, this "faking death" practice would explain how the Merchant seems to return every single time even after Leon tests weapons on him. Again, the game does not make any confirmations to prove this connection.
2 Is He Related To The Second Merchant?
Fans might be surprised to find out that Resident Evil 5 actually had concepts for another Merchant character to make an appearance. However, this iteration of the Merchant didn't make it to the final cut. Fans can see data for this character in the game's files, but only as the form of an orange texture and non-detailed model. The only indication for its role is the "Merchant" kanji on the front of the model.
Interestingly, this tidbit might find itself connected to the theory that the Merchant may be originally a third-party interested in providing weapons to various organizations in the world of Resident Evil. Should this concept come to light, just what connections would that Second Merchant have to Chris and Sheva's mission in Kijuju?
1 Is He Connected To The Other Merchant?
Interestingly, the Merchant isn't the only character named "the Merchant" in the entire franchise. Aside from the Resident Evil 4 NPC, Resident Evil Degeneration also has a character named the Merchant. However, this iteration of the Merchant differs vastly from its original counterpart. This time, the Degeneration Merchant wears a military attire that reminds players of other special forces troopers in the game. Moreover, he wears a modified gas mask of sorts to hide his true identity.
Unfortunately, unlike the Merchant that has various weapons on his person, the Degeneration Merchant simply takes players to a pre-game lobby that acts as his shop. Sadly, Capcom doesn't give any confirmation regarding the connection between these two characters.