McDonald’s introduced the Hamburglar in 1971, according to the character’s branding history.
The Hamburglar arrived during the period when McDonald’s was expanding McDonaldland into a full advertising universe. The character’s defining behavior was trying to steal hamburgers, creating a simple recurring conflict that could be understood quickly by children and reused across many commercials.
His introduction came after Ronald McDonald had already become a prominent mascot. McDonald’s then added more specialized figures, including Grimace, Mayor McCheese, Captain Crook, and Officer Big Mac. Together, these characters gave the brand a consistent cast rather than isolated one-off advertisements.
Later versions of the Hamburglar looked younger and friendlier than the earliest portrayals. That evolution can cause confusion about the date, because the character’s costume and personality changed while the underlying name and hamburger-stealing role remained consistent.