Merchant (job)

The Merchant is a recurring Job class in the Final Fantasy series. Though non-player merchants and shopkeeps have existed since the series' inception, no playable characters took on the role until the spin-off title Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light.

Merchants are typically depicted as wearing either flowing work tunics or formal clothes - top hats and suits for males, and dresses with large sun hats for females. Their strength tends to be average all around, not favoring any particular stat one way or the other, and though they do not adhere to any one specific weapon type, they are most proficient with Staves, Daggers, and Spears in Bravely Default.

Their abilities revolve around money, either by spending it to invoke a specific effect in battle or using passive abilities to increase the amount of money found. Although they learn some offensive skills, they are primarily a support class that is able to find items mid-fight and change the rules of combat in their allies' favor.

Final Fantasy: The Four Heroes of Light
The Merchant Job makes its first appearance in The 4 Heroes of Light, and is obtained after defeating the Arch Demon in Urbeth. They have the ability to find gems in the middle of battle, as well as potentially very powerful skills that allow them to inflict damage and negate all damage received by spending a portion of the party's total money.

Bravely Default
Merchants in Bravely Default are available after the party defeats Chairman Profiteur in Ancheim. They are able to buy and immediately use healing items in mid-battle, and have a number of support and money-gaining abilities.

Etymology
A merchant is a person who traffics goods or commodities for profit, and comes from the Latin mercans ("a buyer"). Its Japanese name, shōnin, can be translated as either merchant, trader, shopkeeper, or businessperson.