Which McDonaldland character was introduced as a thief who stole hamburgers?

The Hamburglar was introduced as the McDonaldland character who stole hamburgers.

The character's central joke was simple and immediately understandable: he was a mischievous figure who wanted to take McDonald's hamburgers. That behavior gave advertisements a recurring conflict while keeping the tone playful and family-friendly.

The Hamburglar's appearance changed substantially. Early versions were portrayed as a short, older-looking character, while the later version became a smaller, youthful figure wearing a striped outfit and cape. The redesign made the character more visually compatible with the other colorful McDonaldland figures.

The Hamburglar is sometimes confused with Grimace, whose role was not hamburger theft, or Mayor McCheese, a civic character in the fictional setting. The character worked as branding because his name directly combined a familiar menu item with a memorable fictional identity.