The Hamburglar was McDonald's 1980s advertising character portrayed as a hamburger-stealing prankster.
The Hamburglar belonged to McDonaldland, the fictional setting used in McDonald's campaigns featuring Ronald McDonald and other recurring characters. His central joke was an exaggerated obsession with hamburgers, expressed through disguises, sneaking, and playful attempts to take them.
The character's appearance changed over the years. Early versions looked more like a small, older villain, while the later redesign presented him as a younger character in a striped shirt, cape, and mask. This redesign made the character more appealing to children and more consistent with the colorful cast surrounding Ronald.
The Hamburglar is often confused with Captain Crook, another McDonaldland character. Captain Crook was associated with Filet-O-Fish sandwiches, whereas the Hamburglar's defining theme was hamburgers.