The Hamburglar was the McDonald's character portrayed as a thief who wanted to steal hamburgers. His striped outfit, mask, and exaggerated sneaking behavior made him one of the best-known figures in McDonaldland branding.
The character appeared alongside other McDonald's advertising figures, including Grimace, Birdie, and Mayor McCheese. His role was a comic exaggeration rather than a realistic criminal portrayal: advertisements used him to create playful conflict around the restaurant's food.
The Hamburglar's appearance changed over time. Early versions looked older and more sinister, while later redesigns made him shorter, younger-looking, and more child-friendly. That evolution can cause images from different decades to seem like separate characters, but they represent successive versions of the same McDonald's brand figure.