The Resident Evil 4 remake absolutely has to include some of the original game's most quotable lines - which are frequently from the Merchant. Resident Evil 4 is one of the most well-regarded titles in Capcom's long-running franchise. One major reason for this is the cast of memorable characters, from the childlike noble Salazar to the enigmatic and cheerful Merchant of Resident Evil 4. These characters were unique not just for how they fit into the setting, but also because they were full of extremely quotable quips as Leon interacted with them.
The character that the player would have interacted most with, outside Ashley Graham, would be the Merchant. He constantly pops up in unexpected places, always ready to haggle with Leon over weapons and treasures, and even occasionally running a shooting gallery for when the player needs a diversion from saving the President's daughter. His presence there is never explained, and Leon never questions it. Despite his mysterious origin, the Merchant is always a welcome sight to the player because he's one of the few friendly faces they see throughout the game.
Having to interact with him so often, players will end up hearing all of his lines multiple times over. While this could potentially get annoying like Ocarina of Time's never-silent Navi, the Merchant's lines somehow remain a pleasure to hear throughout the game. Perhaps because of the enthusiastic delivery when he thanks you for your purchases or his cheerful demeanor juxtaposing the game's tense atmosphere, the lines never get old. Several of these lines are so iconic that Capcom would be remiss if it did not include the classic quotes associated with the character in the remake.
Resident Evil 4 Wouldn't Be The Same Without The Merchant's Banter
A few of the lines that are most iconic are the ones the Merchant says when the player has made major progress. "Got some rare things on sale, stranger!" is something the Merchant proclaims to denote new items in stock, which happens after the player reaches certain checkpoints in the story, such as beating one of Resident Evil 4's ridiculous bosses. Likewise, when the player has assembled all the pieces of a major treasure, the Merchant will notice and exclaim, "Ah! I'll buy it at a high price!" Possibly the most important quote to include is when the Merchant expresses his excitement at the player buying an RPG - a single-use weapon so powerful that it kills most opponents in one shot. The Merchant foreshadows the explosive power of the armament by simply telling Leon: "Stranger, stranger, stranger... now that's a weapon!"
Though they are making significant changes to the story, it would be a mistake for Capcom to ignore such a major character's biggest selling point and leave it out of the Resident Evil 4 remake. Resident Evil 4's Merchant has inspired countless references in other media with his classic quotes, and fans will be expecting them, along with the voice actor's classic delivery, which is what makes many of them so entertaining. The Resident Evil 4 remake wouldn't be complete without a mysterious man flashing you a trench coat full of armaments and asking "What're ya buying?"