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.

In the Collector's Edition trading cards, Ulysses shares a suit with Caesar's Legion. His character has probably been reworked since then, however it is not known to what extent if at all.

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 believed to be Ulysses) was originally supposed to deliver the platinum chip, but after seeing the Courier's name down next on the list he apparently 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.

It can be inferred that Ulysses holds no end of animosity towards the Courier, as he let him take the job, though the reason Ulysses considered taking the job in the first place remains uncertain.

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".
 * Interestingly, Ulysses' has a connection to the Big Empty, a location in Black Isle's canceled Fallout 3. This location was later reworked into Tibbets Prison, a location run by the schizophrenic AI ODYSSEUS. ODYSSEUS was known in earlier design documents as ULYSSES.
 * Ulysses is the Roman name for Odysseus, a hero who suffers a long and ardous journey like the player and presumably Ulysses as well. This may help explain him being in the same suit as Caesar's Legion in the Collector's edition.

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, and his appearance in future DLC is alluded to, in a battle with the Courier in the Great Divide.