In my opinion, shopkeepers in video games don't get enough credit; the world could be overrun by zombies or about to be obliterated by an alien force, and these brave men and women are still selling you their wares.  Well, I think it's about time we honor these courageous people for their dedication, with a list of the best virtual shopkeepers.

10. Guns Shop/Black Market (Far Cry 2, Dark Sector)

The guys that run these shops are willing to deal with some seriously shady characters; these shops welcome trigger-happy strangers and mutating spies so if you find yourself in the middle of a warring country or if you're simply being chased  by the government (and/or creepy mutated zombie things) these guys are here to serve, though they'll do so behind a metal gate (even they need to be cautious).

9. Torneko Taloon (Dragon Quest IV, Mysterious Dungeon series)

Torneko is one of the main characters in Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen, and he makes the list because he's a dreamer.  I respect dreamers, and Mr. Taloon isn't satisfied with being a simple shopkeeper, no, he wants to build an empire; starting of course with his own store (that's how Wal Mart started and look at them now).  If that's not enough, proof of his importance came in the form of a dungeon crawling series called Mysterious Dungeon starring Torneko Taloon.

8. You (Fable II)

Alright, technically you can't actually acquire the job of shopkeeper in Fable II, but the fact that you can buy and sell stores more than makes up for that.  While it would've been nice to add shopkeeper to the list of jobs (alongside memorable occupations like Wood Cutter and Blacksmith), you can essentially buy and sell entire towns so I'm not complaining.  I don't condone cheating, but if you want to be the next (virtual) Donald Trump it really helps if you exploit the Xbox's internal clock a few times to get some serious green.

7. Muramasa (Ninja Gaiden)

I love old people.  I'm not particularly fond of the walking farts epidemic that seems to have spread to so many of the elderly, but Muramasa doesn't have that problem.  He knows how to clench, and for that reason alone he deserves a spot on this list, but he's impressive because he has ninja weaponry, which is useful when one needs to slay a few demons.

6. Jacob Hughes (Grand Theft Auto IV)

Everybody loves an arms dealer, and they especially come in handy when you have to take down the fuzz.  So Jacob (his friends call him Little Jacob) is particularly awesome because he understands the need to take down the boys in blue, as he offers Niko some excellent deals on various weapons.  He's also awesome because he drives a Virgo.

5. Drebin 893 (Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots)

The first thing that comes to mind when I think of Drebin is that freaky naked-alien-mutant thing that loved Narc Soda and had a bad smoking habit (caused by Snake).  Drebin's great because he saves Snake's ass more than once, has an astounding gun supply that rivals most other virtual shopkeepers, and because of his mutant monkey friend, Little Gray.  He's helpful and drives a badass tank, what's better than that?

4. Beedle (The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker/Phantom Hourglass)

Alright, this one was hard.  I knew it would be blasphemous not to include someone from the Zelda series, but there are so many great ones that it made choosing the best quite difficult.  I went with Beedle.  Don't agree with that decision?  Too bad.  He's an excellent entrepreneur, looks great in a gold mask, and he has a funny name, so he wins.

Honorable Mentions: Happy Mask Salesman (Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask) and Morshu (CD-i)

3. Moira Brown (Fallout 3)

Oh yes, you remember her and those increasingly outrageous quests she kept sending you on to help complete her Wasteland Survival Guide?  The always sweet, creepily cheery, and very gullible owner of Megaton's Craterside Supply got me to do everything ranging from getting a radiation overdose to traversing a mine field but it was worth it every time I lied to her and still ended up getting the reward.  Unfortunately, Moira met her end during an unexpected tragedy involving an active nuke in the center of Megaton.  When I returned to the crater that was Craterside supply I discovered that she had survived as a Ghoul.  Now that's why she makes #3.

2. The Merchant (Resident Evil 4)

Alright, I think we can forgive him for looking like the strange old man who tends to hang out next to playgrounds; This guy deserves serious props for not only surviving the dangerous villages, castle, and island of Resident Evil 4 before (possibly) being blown up at the end but for also always being one step ahead of Leon.  No matter how quickly you fly through the game, not only was he already there, but he always managed to set up shop too.  All those rocket launchers must've taken a long time to unpack, right?  Unfortunately, after all he did for gamers, we show him how grateful we are by blowing up the island.  Though, like Elvis, no one knows for sure whether the Merchant actually died, or whether he's spending your pesetas in some remote island whilst sipping a margarita and laughing that lovable laugh.

1. Wirt The Peg-Legged Boy (Diablo)

This one was hard, though both of my options for #1 were from Diablo because let's be honest here: the world is coming to an end, demons walk the earth, and Diablo resides directly underneath your town, and these two guys are still willing to play shop for wandering tourists?  Now that's dedication.  It was between Griswold and Wirt, but in the end dverybody's favorite salesboy came out on top because he always only offered a single expensive item, and you weren't even allowed to see it until you coughed up  50 gold.  Wirt made his appearance in Diablo II, or at least his wooden leg did, which could be used to grant access to the Secret Cow Level, filled with hellish bovines.  I guess we'll never know where the rest of Wirt went... is he settling the stomach of a  goat demon?  Or maybe he's just chilling on the island with the Merchant?

So those ten shopkeepers are the best of the best, the cream of the crop.  Next time you find yourself playing one the above games I suggest you show these courageous people a little more respect.  I know I will.

If you don't agree with one (or possibly all) of my selections, let me know who I missed in the comments section below.

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