Which McDonald’s character is a masked thief whose name refers to hamburgers?

The Hamburglar is the McDonald’s character who appears as a masked thief whose name refers to hamburgers.

The Hamburglar was part of the McDonald’s character universe created for family advertising. In his early appearances, he was portrayed as a small, mischievous figure trying to steal hamburgers, especially from Ronald McDonald. His costume and appearance changed substantially over time.

The character’s name is a visual pun combining “hamburger” with “burglar.” That wordplay made the role easy for children to understand and helped distinguish him from other McDonald’s figures, such as Grimace and Mayor McCheese.

The Hamburglar was not a real person, restaurant mascot from the founding era, or name for a hamburger. He belongs to the later advertising tradition that gave McDonald’s a recognizable cast of fictional characters.