Much of the Courier's past is shrouded in mystery in order to allow players to roleplay whatever role they wish to. But with Dead Money, and some parts of the main game, we've come to learn a bit more about our protagonist.

To be specific, we learn that a man named Ulysses seems to want the Courier's head.

Now here's what I think about the Courier's path based off of Van Buren documents (the canceled FO3 project from Interplay before Bethesda acquired the rights to the Fallout series):
First and foremost, the protagonist of Van Buren was "The Prisoner" of Tibbets Facility. This location was also what originally was supposed to be the Big Empty, which we learned from Dead Money now is some high tech facility. Secondly, the name "Ulysses" also was in Van Buren but was changed to ODYSSEUS. ODYSSEUS was an advanced A.I. "ZAX" unit, much like President Eden from Fallout 3, or The Emperor from Fallout 2. ODYSSEUS's role in Van Buren was as the "warden" of Tibbets Facility.

Now then, I don't think that Ulysses is going to be the exact same, but based off of the Van Buren protagonist, the Van Buren version of Ulysses, "ODYSSEUS", and the fact that the Courier starts off his role from being shot in the head (where as every other protagonist has started based off of coming out of a vault, or from a village), I think the Courier may have killed someone very important to Ulysses; either intentionally or unitentionally. However that screwed Ulysses up so much that perhaps his moral compass is going off the deep end.

We see that he isn't a bad guy; he saved Christine and "gave her her mark", which set her on her mission to get vengeance on Father Elijah.

I also think Ulysses may play a part in the main storyline. While Benny delivered the [would be] killing blow to the Courier, we never truly discover how he figured out where the Courier would be heading. Perhaps Ulysses gave him that information, seeing as he told Nash to give you, Courier Six, the job to take the platinum chip.

Anyways, there's my thoughts. What about you guys? Why do you think Ulysses wants to fight the Courier, or at the very least meet him at the Divide? What do you think the Courier did that must've pissed him off that much?

Killed his love. Took a job that he wanted, maybe he doesn't even hate the courier. Maybe they know eachother in a good way.

So he doesn't bother to wait and meet our Courier but instead just leaves you with the job? Nash suggests it sounded like he wanted the wastes to sort us out.

if you talk to the The Lonesome Drifter its implied that the courier possibly impregnated someone 17 years ago. Ulysses his son? mad at dad for leaving maybe?

Yeah. Plus after Nash mentions that, he says he hopes that a storm in the Divide tears Ulysses apart. Doesn't sound very much like Ulysses likes us. =P


That's possible too. Though that makes me wonder how young the Courier can possible be. It looks like you can set him anywhere between 20s to 50s. But it would also make the Lonesome Drifter foreshadow future events. Perhaps he's an exact opposite of Ulysses, no longer searching for his dad, where as Ulysses wants his father dead.

Would also be real interesting with how it'd punch the player in the gut.

"Why the hell do you keep trying to kill me?!"
"Because Courier Six I am your son. DUN DUN DUN"
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO"

how would that work if you set the age at 18?

Well it never specifically says the Courier is 18. He can appear to be 18, but the exact ages the Courier can be aren't specifically said. It's possible the youngest the Courier could be is in his 20s, and he may have impregnated someone when he was just beginning puberty.

Though I still think it has to do with the Courier directly or indirectly killing someone Ulysses loved.

Teenage pregnancy FTW

I think he killed someone he loved to