Grimace is the purple, oversized McDonald's character introduced in 1971.
The character first appeared as a large, somewhat mischievous figure associated with McDonald's milkshakes. Over time, advertising softened Grimace's personality and presented him as a friendly, childlike companion to Ronald McDonald and the other McDonaldland characters.
Grimace's simple silhouette and single-color purple design made him highly recognizable in television commercials, packaging, and restaurant promotions. His appearance changed somewhat over the decades, but the purple body remained his defining visual feature.
He is often confused with the Hamburglar because both belonged to the same fictional advertising universe. They had different designs and roles: the Hamburglar was a striped, burger-stealing character, while Grimace became known as Ronald's large purple friend.