Which McDonald's character is a striped-shirt thief known for stealing hamburgers?

The Hamburglar is the McDonald's character known as a striped-shirt thief who steals hamburgers.

The Hamburglar became part of the McDonaldland cast, where his repeated attempts to take hamburgers created a simple comic storyline for advertising. His name combined “hamburger” with “burglar,” making the character's role immediately understandable to audiences.

McDonald's changed the character's appearance over time. Early versions looked more like a small, mischievous criminal, while later advertising presented a younger and more stylized figure. The recognizable striped clothing and cape-like accessories remained important parts of the character's visual identity.

The Hamburglar is sometimes confused with the restaurant's other mascots because all appeared in the same fictional world. Grimace, for example, was a purple companion, while Mayor McCheese was an elected-official parody. The Hamburglar's defining branding function was comic pursuit of hamburgers.