The Hamburglar is the McDonald’s character known as a thief in a black-and-white striped outfit.
The Hamburglar was introduced in 1971 as part of McDonaldland, McDonald’s fictional advertising setting. Early versions were presented as a small, mischievous character who tried to steal hamburgers. His striped clothing and repeated hamburger-focused antics made him visually distinct from the other characters in the campaign.
The character’s appearance changed over time. The original Hamburglar looked older and more like a stereotypical burglar, while later advertisements redesigned him as a younger, friendlier figure. His costume, cape, and wordplay reinforced the character’s role without making the advertising genuinely threatening.
The Hamburglar is often mixed up with Grimace, whose identity and design also changed across McDonald’s history. Grimace was not the thief character. The Hamburglar’s specific branding role was to create playful conflict around the restaurant’s signature hamburgers.