Which McDonald's character was created as a thief obsessed with stealing hamburgers?

The Hamburglar was created as a McDonald's character obsessed with stealing hamburgers.

He became one of the best-known members of the McDonaldland advertising cast. His name directly combined “hamburger” with the word “burglar,” making his role immediately understandable to viewers. In early appearances he had a more sinister appearance, but the character was later redesigned with a friendlier, child-oriented look.

The Hamburglar's recurring goal gave commercials a simple comic conflict: he wanted the hamburgers, while Ronald McDonald and the other characters tried to stop or outsmart him. This kind of repeated story structure made McDonald's advertising characters recognizable across multiple commercials and years.

The Hamburglar is distinct from Captain Crook, who was associated with stealing Filet-O-Fish sandwiches. Both characters were mischievous food-themed figures, but their targets and names were different. The Hamburglar's defining branding association was specifically the hamburger.