The age-old question remains: How does the merchant survive through the Resident Evil 4 game world? Over the years, fans have come up with countless theories. As a hardcore fan of both the original Resident Evil 4 (RE:4 OG) and the Remake, I intend to go through some of them and suggest my own theory.

Who is this Merchant?

Introduced in Resident Evil 4 in 2005, the merchant was placed in the game as a literal replacement for a physical shop. This NPC was designed with a long black trench coat, which he uses to store most of his weapons and other items. The majority of his face is covered with a bandana, thereby allowing him to blend in while concealing his identity. Adding to the mystery factor, he has a thick, more stylized version of a British accent. This might be the grand giveaway that he, in fact, goes out of his way to differentiate himself from the crowd and present himself as a gruff weapons dealer. Here we could speculate that he might be one of the villagers, or someone from that area, but he doesn’t want anybody to know about it.

How does he survive in the game world? (Fan theories)

Some of the fan theories are far-fetched, whereas some are pretty believable. Capcom, in this regard, plays coy with us since they need to keep this perfect NPC’s character as opaque as possible.

One theory is that the Merchant himself is infected, given his weird-looking eyes in the OG. This idea suggests that he took a suppressant, similar to what Luis Serra did. On the one hand, I believe that the Merchant is far more capable of finding a better cure for himself, because, in the remake, he has many recipes that he’s so eager to sell. On the other hand, he wouldn’t sell a cure even if one existed, as it would easily expose his abilities to the cult and ultimately make him a victim again. But if he was once infected and now the Plaga is dormant, or he managed to completely get rid of it, it’s unlikely that he would stay in this volatile setting.

The other theory is that he is not human, which is my least favorite and a bit of a stretch to be in the Resident Evil 4 setting. This might be primarily stemming from his glowing eyes in the OG. However, Capcom may have had second thoughts about retaining his original eyes as it pertains to a more supernatural aspect. This could be the reason why he looks more human in the remake.

This last theory is my personal favorite, with which I also resonate. Most believe that he has simply made a deal with the cult, the Los Illuminados. When dissecting this theory, I find it more plausible because, after all, he sells high-powered weapons and supplies. I mean, rocket launchers? How convenient it is for the cultists to have a merchant with supplies of this magnitude? So, in exchange, he was maybe given a lifeline and a free pass to roam around.

My theory (Just hear me out)

Like I said before, I choose to believe that the Merchant and the cult struck a deal — a win-win situation for both parties. He could set up his shop wherever he wishes to, and in return, the cultists get state-of-the-art supplies.

The Merchant himself calls Leon, “Over here, stranger!” implying that he’s been doing business for a long time in the area, and this is one of the rare occasions he has come across a capable man who would make good use of his supplies. However, I think Osmund Saddler would nip the danger in the bud if he knew that the Merchant was selling weapons to someone other than his subordinates. Therefore, he would put, for example, Ganado to spy on the Merchant so that Saddler could keep himself in the loop. This might be the reason why the Merchant has opted for a blue/purple light to illuminate the area of his shop. We could theorize that he uses the light as a precaution, even though he knows that the parasites are only active at night. This is exactly why he leaves a note to inform Leon, or anyone else for that matter, that a flash grenade would instantly kill the parasites. Perhaps, he doesn’t like the villagers or the cultists to come near his shop.

In Resident Evil 4 Remake, Leon must fight off Plaga-infested knights in the castle’s armory, where Ashley, being the supportive company that she is, helps Leon by stunning them with “Blue Lanterns.” Even in Ashley’s gameplay section, she uses a blue lantern to temporarily incapacitate the armored knights. All in all, the Merchant’s blue light may also help him feel safer even when the sun shines brightly in the sky, and it automatically makes his presence a safe haven for Leon as well. Not to mention, after mayhem, the soothing music provides the instant serenity and calming effect that players are longing for.

Another thing that I missed during my first few playthroughs of RE: 4 remake was the lantern beside the merchant’s table. Whenever we’re purchasing something, the lantern is lit with a bright blue color. Perhaps to protect his “bits and bobs” from parasite-ridden enemies? Well, these are just my observations, nothing more.

In short, he has ostracized himself, he is well aware of the terrain, he knows how to exploit the situation, and above all — sells to anyone who has “cash”. He seems to be a businessman worth his salt. He knows there’s a fight, and he sells to both parties, in his own words, during “hard times.” Be that as it may, to counter this idea, the remake is giving us a clue or a snippet of his personal agenda as well. Towards the latter part of the game, he once says, “I can hardly contain myself! You’re really gonna do it, stranger!” indicating that perhaps he’s rooting for Leon; rather, he’s rooting for anyone who could put a stop to the ongoing madness. He might be well-informed that he won’t be doing business any longer, and it’s high time he took his leave. Moreover, he refers to himself as “us,” hinting that there are many merchants like him or he’s not alone. Undoubtedly, a businessman of his calibre would be insane to plant himself in a hellhole like this without some sort of backup after all. Even in RE: Village, the merchant character is making subtle hints about his knowledge of the Merchant from Resident Evil 4 and calls him a friend, clearly suggesting that they have their own network.

But, most probably, he’s just a gameplay convenience. A personification of a physical shop to add that extra personal touch and mystery element to the game, and we are just overthinking it! That’s it!

The best part is that, although he’s a mysterious businessman with limited dialogue and screen time, fans love him and were quite worked up about him never making an appearance after RE: 4. But, props to the development team for preserving the merchant’s original design and characteristics with minimal changes and better yet, creating a phenomenal remake that will stand the test of time.

Do you think he’ll ever make a comeback? What do YOU think about the blue/purple torch? Over here, stranger! Let’s chat!

Some fun facts about the Merchant from RE:4

• The Merchant’s long trench coat was inspired by the cloak worn by Neptuneman in the Kinnikuman series.
• In Resident Evil 4 (2005), if you kill the Merchant, he stays dead in that specific location and respawns in the next area. In the remake, however, we can’t kill him, oh well!
• The Merchant in the original game was voiced by Paul Mercier, the same voice actor who has given Leon his iconic, sassy, and masculine voice.