Which McDonald’s character was known as the chain’s hamburger-stealing mascot?

The Hamburglar was McDonald’s hamburger-stealing mascot.

The character became part of McDonaldland, the fictional advertising world used by McDonald’s to promote its family brand. The Hamburglar was portrayed as a small, mischievous figure whose main obsession was taking hamburgers, especially McDonald’s signature products.

His costume and appearance changed over time. The early version was more cartoonishly villainous, while later advertising presented a younger and friendlier design. Despite those redesigns, the hamburger-theft theme remained the character’s defining trait.

The Hamburglar is sometimes confused with Grimace because both were prominent McDonaldland characters. Grimace was associated with purple color and milkshakes in his early portrayal, whereas the Hamburglar’s defining action was trying to steal hamburgers. Ronald McDonald served as the central host of the fictional world.