Which McDonald's character became known for stealing hamburgers?

The McDonald's character known for stealing hamburgers was the Hamburglar.

The Hamburglar was introduced as part of the McDonaldland advertising characters used by McDonald's. He was portrayed as a small, mischievous figure whose central gag involved trying to take hamburgers, especially Big Macs.

His costume and appearance changed over time. Early versions were more elaborate and villain-like, while later advertising presented a younger, simplified character. Those redesigns can make images from different decades look unrelated even though they represent the same mascot.

The Hamburglar was not McDonald's only branded character. Grimace, Birdie, and Mayor McCheese also appeared in McDonaldland campaigns, but their roles differed. The Hamburglar's hamburger-stealing behavior was his defining identity.