The Merchant was a
Ganado that assisted
Leon S. Kennedy throughout his journey during
Resident Evil 4, buying and selling merchandise such as weapons, medicines, ammunition and other valuables. He wore a large weathered hooded coat with boots, a purple coloured scarf around his face and an enormous backpack loaded with his wares. He had a main base of operations in a cave only accessible by water, and he became easy to spot for
Leon as he always deployed blue flamed torches to signify his appearance.
He spoke English in an Australian accent which was quite bizarre considering his origins - although it could be that he was at least brought up in an English-speaking country. He was clearly a skilled salesperson who knew certain tricks of the trade. What was also clear was that he was
Plaga-infected - his eyes glowed in a similar fashion to the other
Ganado but contrary to the rest of them, he seemed to have no ill-intent towards
Leon and appeared in many different locations throughout his journey. All he was interested in was the buying and selling of his merchandise, as well as upgrades for weapons and other equipment
Leon used such as his Attache Case. He also seemed to be able to travel to different places rapidly - something quite unexplainable.
It's unknown how the Merchant got his weapons which included things such as rocket launchers, assault rifles - any weapon in the game can be purchased if the correct requirements are met.
The Merchant can also be killed like any other
Ganado - this makes him inaccessible for a while in that particular location (on Professional difficulty he will stay dead). There is no reason or benefit in shooting him down, as you cannot access any of his products without him.
Also, The Merchant orchestrated a handful of extra activities in the game such as two shooting ranges found later in the game and the 15 Blue Medallions placed around the early parts of the game. Both activities result in on-the-spot prizes for
Leon if they are completed.
In the
Resident Evil 4 Remake, The Merchant once again appears as
Leon's mysterious ally. He cannot be killed in the Remake, and he assigns far more side activites for
Leon to complete.