The Hamburglar is McDonald's burglar character whose name combines “hamburger” with “burglar.”
The Hamburglar became part of the McDonaldland advertising cast in the early 1970s. He was portrayed as a mischievous character who tried to steal hamburgers, especially the fictional McDonald's burgers featured in the commercials.
The character’s appearance changed over time. Early versions were more sinister and wore a striped outfit, while a later redesign made him look younger and more cartoon-like. The Hamburglar is often confused with the Fry Kids, whose role was associated with fries, or with Grimace, whose original advertising identity was linked to milkshakes. His name is one of McDonald's clearest examples of a branded food pun.