2026 has been an awesome year for Big Bad Workshop and Fresh Monkey Fiction's Operation: Monster Force and its companion line, The Order of the Crimson Moon, and while I'm going to be reviewing a bunch of these guys during the last quarter of 2026, I wanted to give this Cthulhu inspired figure a spot on Trick or Treat Through 31 Days of Toy Terror. Who is the Ambassador R'lyeh? He's a Cthulhu-like representative of the sunken city of R'lyeh, the mythical resting place of the great Cthulhu himself. The ambassador is now part of the Forgotten King's army, bringing the eldritch menace of the elder gods into the world of Operation: Monster Force. This guy is a stellar release from Season 3, part 1 of this series and was my most anticipated figure from this set. I actually preordered the full set of six figures so I received the bonus head pack, but I'll look at that separately at some point. For now, let's basque in the cosmic horror of the Ambassador of R'lyeh...
The Facts:
Height: 6 3/8ths inches
Articulation: Swivel/ hinge ankles, boot swivels, double hinged knees, thigh swivels, balljointed drop-down hips, balljointed waist, balljointed mid-torso, lateral pectoral hinges, swivel/hinge shoulders, bicep swivels, double hinged elbows, forearm swivels, swivel/hinge wrists, balljointed neck base, hinged neck, and a balljointed head.
Accessories: Three swappable portraits, 2 tentacle hands, 8 standard hands, 2 spell effects, 1 closed spellbook, 1 open spell book with removable tentacle, and display base.
Non-Scalper Price: $38-$40 dollars
The Positives:
* I absolutely love the look of the Ambassador of R'lyeh! Like so many of the Operation: Monster Force villains, he's clad in an outfit that definitely looks to have a fascist, authoritarian aesthetic to it. Does a denizen of R'lyeh actually wear clothing if he's built like the classic Cthulhu? Perhaps he's been given these clothes by the Forgotten King's forces, allowing him to better blend in. The outfit/ base body is shared with Major Noir from The Order of the Crimson Moon, but the green, black, and silver paintwork stands out more here and fits the Ambassador's vibe well. The paintwork is also really clean and sharp. BBWS and FMF have really tightened up these figures and they keep getting better and better.
* This is an incredible portrait. How creepy is the Ambassador? He's definitely very Cthulhu inspired with his most-looking green head, those big, bulbous yellow eyes, and the squid-like tentacles draping down over his mouth. I presume that there are more spawn of Cthulhu roaming around the city of R'lyeh, helping to carry out their dark master's wishes while they await his awakening. The wash on this is so good and really brings out the detail, making every little segment of the tentacles and crevice in the head stand out.
* Two alternate portraits are included, one of which looks to be a masked human. We've seen this hooded portrait before in both
The Order of the Crimson Moon and the
Soldiers of Fortune lines, though this time the hood has been painted black and green. Could this guy be a cultist of Cthulhu who follows the Ambassador? Or perhaps the Ambassador can disguise himself, allowing him to walk among other villains without driving them mad.
* The third portrait is pretty wild, showing the hooded head turning into a Cthulhu-like being. Is this the Ambassador of R'lyeh revealing his true form or is one of the cultists being transformed? I love how the mask looks like it's dissolving while the eyes are now yellow with the squid-like tentacles spilling out from below the hood. It's an excellent portrait and may rival the basic headsculpt just because of how creepy it looks.
* The tentacled hands are really weird and creepy, so they're perfectly fitting for this figure. There's a blend of colors here, really adding to the look of those long, slimy fingers.
* Here's a shot from the back to check out the paintwork. One thing that Big bad Workshop and Fresh Monkey Fiction absolutely do not scrimp on are paint applications. There's even a drybrush effect covering the Ambassador's coat, making it appear like it's rather soiled and mildewed. It's a great effect for the clothing from a creature from a sunken city.
* The Ambassador of R'lyeh (and so far all of the Season 3 figures I've messed around with) feel really nice and well made. Articulation-wise you're getting a figure that has the same joints as, say, a G.I. Joe: Classified Series figure or some of the newer Action Force figures, but the plastic feels firmer. Most join movement is nice and smooth, too. You can feel the improvement in the feel of the figures in this line. Sure, there is leg restriction due to the Ambassador's long coat, but the bottom of the coat is made from a very pliable and rubbery material, so most poses aren't really hindered. The style is worth the sacrifice in my book.
* A set of standard hands is also included in case you want to have the Ambassador disguised or you want this guy to just be a Cthulhu cultist. There's a set of standard grips, a set of pistol grips, a set of gesturing or grappling hands, and a set of fists. They swap easily and really give you a nice variety when posing or displaying this guy.
* We saw these magical effects with the Forgotten King but they've been recolored and included with the Ambassador of R'lyeh to give him some extra powers. Just pop off his hands and place on these magical effects. They fit over his wrists (just at the edges of his sleeves) and look quite nice. They look very clear here but they actually have a purplish color to them. They look pretty solid and are a nice inclusion.
* Operation: Monster Force is filled with various spooky tomes. This book has some great design work on the covers and even some paint applications. The pages also get a paint hit, making them look like they're aged and ancient.
* A second open book is included. First of all, the level of print detail on visible pages is crazy. It's such an intricate and clean print! Second, the tentacle coming through a portal on the page is amazing and really makes this one of my favorite accessories of this year. The tentacle can rotate and it's removable. It's also fully detailed with painted suckers on it. How cool is this? This is some quality work for sure.
* Each figure in the Operation: Monster Force line comes with a really well designed gravestone with two foot pegs and their name on the front. I love the personalization on these.
* One thing that sets the Operation: Monster Force stands above the rest is the ability to stand the display stands upright, allowing you to make your own little cemetery if you don't need the stands.
* Another really cool thing about the Operation: Monster Force figures is that they come in a five panel box with an opening front flap. The front flap contains a pretty cool comic unique to the character. I love this as it gives the figures a welcome touch of the old fashioned storytelling that we used to see on action figure packaging. There's also a copy of the comic on the back of the backer card inserted behind the figures tray.
The Ambassador of R'lyeh is absolutely Epic. He's one of the coolest figures I've purchased this year and another standout in Operation: Monster Force. Honestly, this line (and it's sister lines like Order of the Crimson Moon) comes second only to the G.I. Joe: Classified Series for action figures that I look forward to the most. This is such an incredibly well made figure and there's an exceptional quality to every part with no shortage of paint applications. Those extra portraits and high quality accessories really make this guy feel worth the price, too.
For more Operation: Monster Force reviews check out the following:
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