The Hamburglar is the masked McDonald's character whose name combines “hamburger” with “burglar.”
The Hamburglar became part of the McDonaldland cast, a fictional advertising world introduced by McDonald's in 1971. In his early appearances, he was portrayed as a small, mischievous character who tried to steal hamburgers, especially from Ronald McDonald.
The character's appearance changed over time. Early versions looked more like an older, sinister figure, while a later redesign presented him as a smaller childlike character wearing a black-and-white striped outfit, cape, gloves, and a wide-brimmed hat. The redesign made the character more suitable for children's advertising.
The Hamburglar is often confused with Captain Crook because both were McDonaldland troublemakers. Captain Crook was associated with Filet-O-Fish sandwiches, while the Hamburglar's defining obsession was hamburgers. That wordplay is the key to identifying him.