The Hamburglar was the McDonald’s character known for trying to steal hamburgers.
He was introduced as part of the McDonaldland advertising world, where characters represented different aspects of the restaurant’s menu and family brand. The Hamburglar’s defining behavior was his repeated attempt to take hamburgers, usually while being stopped or exposed by Ronald McDonald and the other characters.
The character’s appearance changed substantially over time. Early versions were more sinister and wore a striped outfit, mask, and cape. Later redesigns made him look younger and more cartoon-like, with a simplified costume aimed at children. His recurring role made him easy to identify even when commercials used different storylines.
The Hamburglar is sometimes confused with Grimace, but their branding roles were different. Grimace was a large, friendly purple character, while the Hamburglar was specifically built around hamburger-themed mischief.