History Main / ProudMerchantRace

* Corellia in {{Star Wars}}. In the EU, Corellia is described as falling on most of the major galactic trade routes, making it an economic powerhouse and a center of shipping and starship manufacturing (which means that, consequently, Badass Navies had a large number of Corellians). Trade and business is held in such high regard that Corellia has several seats in its Corellian Council (the legislature responsible for selecting its executive, the Diktat) reserved for corporate representatives. Also, their fleet and defense force is trained primarily to stave off piracy and minimize profit loss, and apparently does a pretty good job (at least until the Empire starts stacking its government with BlackShirts and TheSyndicate). Justified in that Corellia is an {{Expy}} of the United States, and Coronet City in particular is an {{Expy}} of NYC, both of which are known for Proud Merchants. Their NeverTellMeTheOdds attitude is also befitting for those in the high risk game of intergalactic business.

-->--'''Rudyard Kipling''', '''''The Merchantmen'''''

-->''We bring no store of ingots, of spice or precious stones''
-->''But that which we have gathered, with sweat and aching bones''
-->''In flame beneath the tropics, in frost beneath the floe''
-->''And jeopardy of every wind, that doth between them go''
-->''And some we got by purchase, and some we got by trade''
-->''And some we got by courtesy, of pike and carronade''
-->Rudyard Kipling,''The Merchantmen''

** The Arcane from ''{{Spelljammer}}'' and ''{{Planescape}}'', who were even renamed "Mercane" in later editions.

Despite positive portrayals a fair deal of real-world racism often shows up, especially in older works, with someone getting [[strike: shrewdly out-negotiated]screwed over by them or occasionally just outright cheated.

* The Hacan in Twilight Imperium are explicitly this (they have trade-based special abilities) and [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Hacan.png are portrayed as a cross between anthropomorphic lions and stereotypical Arabian traders]].

* The Bentusi from ''{{Homeworld}}''. They sell you some technologies that eventually help you reclaim Hiigara.

* The Ferengi in the ''StarTrek'' verse. Quark is visibly confused and disappointed that his victories in delicate trade negotiations are not seen as equal to the deeds of war heroes in the eyes of non-Ferengi.

** Ankh-Morporkian humans. Their national anthem includes the line "Let others boast of martial dash, for we have bravely fought with cash!"

* The Beetle-kinden of Helleron in Adrian Tchaikovsky's ''Shadows of the Apt'' series.

* Corellia in {{Star Wars}}. In the EU, Corellia is described as falling on most of the major galactic trade routes, making it an economic powerhouse and a center of shipping and starship manufacturing. Trade and business is held in such high regard that Corellia has several seats in its Corellian Council (the legislature responsible for selecting its executive, the Diktat) reserved for corporate representatives. Also, their fleet and defense force is trained primarily to stave off piracy and minimize profit loss, and apparently does a pretty good job (at least until the Empire starts stacking its government with BlackShirts and TheSyndicate). Justified in that Corellia is an {{Expy}} of the United States, and Coronet City in particular is an {{Expy}} of NYC, both of which are known for Proud Merchants.

** The Arcane from ''{{Spelljammer}}'', later turned into Mercane in ''{{Planescape}}''.

* C. J. Cherryth's ''Chanur Saga'' has the Chanur and their rivals, the Kif.

* Koreans in the Korean serial [[TheEpic epic]] ''Emperor of The Sea''

* Ancient Athens, though more old-fashioned folk wished for the time when they were [[DeterminedHomesteader Determined Homesteaders]].

* The Jews are often stereotyped as this, along with banking. This comes from Medieval Europe: they were scattered far and wide and thus were more or less accepted and had friends at any port. Usury was prohibited to Catholics, so Jews filled the free niche. In IX century they had so much power in some cities that even an Archbishop could only complain in vain about Mediterannean slave trade transit via European coast or shifting the market day from Saturday to Sunday -- until the next overhaul of the feudal system. Even when Catholics were aggressive and Jews weren't allowed to own land, being left out of geopolitics allowed more trade opportunities in "everyone at everyone's throat" environment. Of course, this stereotype was rather quaint by the time of [[OneNationUnderCopyright East India Company]], but such things tend to stick until displaced by another stereotype.

** Since every other species but the [[StarfishAliens hanar]] are at least somewhat capable in combat (and the Hanar have Drell assassins), this gives them a secondary hat as the galaxy's ButtMonkey. Almost every volus NPC has something bad happen to them.
** They are actually quite bitter about this status since they have been part of the Citadel longer than anyone but the Asari and the Solarians but have not received a council seat, despite managing the ''entire galactic economy''. The official reason is that council races need to contribute forces to the common defense and they don't have any.

* The planet Komarr in the ''VorkosiganSaga''. Seen by some (including myself) as Ambiguously Jewish, but the names of people there are often Italian/Greek, probably drawing from Venice as well as the "Greek Tycoon" type like Aristotle Onassis.

* The Orca in ''{{Dragaera}}'', although replace Proud with Corrupt. Since they are also the race which are sailors, I see shades of Venice and/or Nineteenth Century New England.

* The Ferengi in the ''StarTrek'' verse.

** Since every other species but the [[StarfishAliens hanar]] are at least somewhat capable in combat, this gives them a secondary hat as the galaxy's ButtMonkey. Almost every volus NPC has something bad happen to them.

* The Volus from the ''MassEffect'' series. Because of their uselessness in combat, they have become a Proud Merchant Race.

* WorldOfWarcraft: Goblins to an extent. The tuskarr come off as this aswell, though their deity wants them to take up the fight alongside the horde and alliance.