Ulysses

"The day I set my flag down, it'll be over my body or over a nation I believe in."

Ulysses is a cut companion NPC present on the trading cards that came with the Fallout: New Vegas Collector's Edition, but not actually appearing in the final version of the game. According to his writer, Chris Avellone, he may appear in future DLC.

Background
Ulysses was once a successful Bighorner rancher at Wolfhorn Ranch, but he recently abandoned his Ranch and is now nowhere to be seen.

During Dead Money, Christine mentions that she was rescued from Father Elijah in the Big Empty by a courier "who wore the flag of the old world on his back". This courier seemed to imply he was seeking another, telling Christine to go after Elijah because he knew what it was like to search for someone who'd had a major impact on your life. Several of the possible endings also discuss how involved characters later hear news of "the battle at the Divide" between "the two couriers", implying that Ulysses' search for the Courier will be a background storyline that spans all the DLC packs, before culminating in a battle in the final DLC.

The knowledge we gain about Ulysses from Dead Money provides a greater context for comments made by Johnson Nash in Primm. Nash states that another courier (now known to be Ulysses, it seems) was originally supposed to deliver the platinum chip, but after seeing the Courier's name down next on the list, his expression turned right around and he asked Nash if the Courier's name was for real, implying that Ulysses had thought that the Courier was dead. Nash told him that the Courier was still kicking, and Ulysses flat-out turned down the job, saying "No, let 'Courier Six' carry the package", as if he expected the Mojave Wasteland to finish the Courier off, and then left without another word.

One of ED-E's Endings, states that it is eventually repaired by another courier who lets it continue on its journey to Navarro. This could lead to a possibility that Ulysses repaired ED-E or it was just another generic Courier.

Behind the scenes

 * According to Chris Avellone, "tearing him out of the game was almost as hard as putting him in because companion scripts touch almost everything", and "he also was a complicated character in terms of some of the hooks into the storyline".
 * A rod-sized "Eagle Flag Pole" can be found in the games weapon model folder. It is possible that this was intended to be his personal weapon, as it resembles the flagpole on his game card image.
 * He is referenced in the German, French and Italian version of the game, in which the Wolfhorn Ranch is called respectively "Ulysses' Lager", "Camp d'Ulysses" or "Accampamento di Ulysses". All these designations translate to "Ulysses' camp".
 * His name most likely stems from United States president, Ulysses S. Grant, as he carries an American flag.

Appearances
Ulysses was planned to appear in Fallout: New Vegas, but was ultimately cut from the final game. He is referenced briefly in Dead Money, which makes his existence canon once again.