The Hamburglar received a major redesign in 1985, changing from a robber into a more child-friendly figure.
The original Hamburglar was depicted as a short, somewhat menacing character dressed like a miniature adult thief. His advertising role centered on stealing hamburgers, especially from Ronald McDonald. In 1985, McDonald's redesigned him with a younger appearance and a more playful personality.
The change matched a broader effort to make McDonaldland characters friendlier and easier for children to identify with. The redesigned Hamburglar wore a black-and-white outfit with a red cape and remained associated with hamburgers, but he no longer looked like a threatening criminal.
He is sometimes confused with Captain Crook, another McDonaldland character associated with stealing food. Captain Crook was linked especially with Filet-O-Fish, while the Hamburglar's defining target was the hamburger.