Ever since Resident Evil 4 came out, The Merchant and his famous phrases "What're ya buying?" and "What're ya selling?" have become iconic and continually referenced by fans. With the release of Resident Evil: Village however, a new shopkeeper has emerged to help players called The Duke. With so many obvious similarities and differences between these two vendors, let's take a look at their roles and impacts in each game.
When Leon Kennedy awakens in the house in the Valley, The Merchant reveals himself. He is a mysterious character with no real name, always dressed in a long, black cloak that's used to hide his merchandise. He accepts the real-world pesetas as well as treasure and other loot as acceptable currency for his inventory. He also runs shooting ranges around the castle and island areas of the game, where Leon can engage in various target practice mini-games. The Merchant can be attacked and killed by Leon if a player chooses to do so. On amateur and normal difficulty, he will eventually respawn in the location he's killed, but on professional difficulty, he'll never come back
It's never explained why The Merchant has such a huge stockpile of weapons and other supplies, but it's likely that he is an illegal arms dealer. It's also clear that he is a Ganado and local to the area. While The Merchant might also be infected, he's not hostile and is willing to deal with anyone for the right price. It's not confirmed whether or not the Merchant had any business dealings with the Los Iluminados cult. But, given that some of the Ganados combatants Leon faces are armed with powerful weapons including rocket launchers, it's possible The Merchant supplied the cult's militia.
In Resident Evil: Village, Ethan Winters becomes acquainted with The Duke when they meet outside Castle Dimitrescu. He is a morbidly obese character who travels through the village using his carriage, which is stocked full of goods. He says that he knows about Ethan and his quest to save his daughter Rose, but doesn't elaborate on how he gained this information. Like The Merchant, The Duke will accept the region's real-world currency along with treasures and other items. He also provides kitchen services for players, being able to cook up special meals that give Ethan a boost, so long as he brings The Duke the proper ingredients.
Like any in-game vendor, his motives are often based on profit, as he's willing to do business with anyone. It's made clear that Ethan was far from the only customer The Duke had, as he had business dealings with Lady Alcina Dimitrescu, even setting up a vending station within her castle. It's discovered he also did business with the villagers, such as providing newspapers to a man named Ernest so he could keep up with events in the outside world, despite it being forbidden by Mother Miranda. As a fun Easter egg, The Duke sometimes references The Merchant and his famous saying, claiming he is an old friend and business partner.
Despite appearing as human, it's clear that there's much more to The Duke than the player can see, at times appearing omnipresent and omniscient. He is also seemingly immortal, laughing off any attacks made by Ethan. When asked, The Duke admits that even he doesn't really understand his true nature. Near the end of the game, he saves Ethan and transports him to Miranda's location to save Rose. Whether or not he did so as part of his "first-class customer service," or out of genuine kindness to Ethan and his daughter, can be speculated. After Ethan uses The Duke's services one last time, The Duke mentions that he'll be leaving the area since all of his customers in the village are now dead or soon to be.
Both of these vendors provided the respective heroes with an invaluable service that helped them on their quests. But it's clear that The Duke wasn't just a useful supplier at times like The Merchant was; he was an invaluable ally to Ethan. Whereas The Merchant simply appears from time to time to resupply Leon, The Duke plays a crucial role in Ethan's story, guiding him on how to save his daughter and defeat Mother Miranda alongside her house lords. Since he even went so far as to intervene and save Ethan's life, The Duke might even be considered a friend. It's unknown if The Duke or The Merchant will appear in any future titles, but when the monsters keep coming and the ammunition's running low, players could certainly use the services of a savvy, teleporting vendor.
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