Grimace is the name of McDonald's purple character introduced as a McDonaldland mascot.
The character appeared in McDonald's advertising in the early 1970s. Grimace was originally portrayed as a large, clumsy purple figure associated with milkshakes. Over time, advertising simplified his personality and made him a friendly companion to Ronald McDonald and the other McDonaldland characters.
Grimace's design changed significantly. Early versions were more unusual and had multiple arms, while the familiar later version is a large, rounded purple character with two arms and two legs. This redesign made him easier for children to recognize and use in stories, restaurant appearances, and merchandise.
A frequent mistake is identifying Grimace as the hamburger thief. That role belonged to the Hamburglar. Mayor McCheese was another McDonaldland figure, while Birdie the Early Bird was introduced later as a breakfast-themed character.