Grimace was originally introduced as a four-armed thief of milkshakes.
When Grimace first appeared in McDonald’s advertising, the character was portrayed as a troublesome figure associated with stealing milkshakes. The early design had four arms, a detail that made the character look very different from the friendly purple figure most people recognize today.
McDonald’s later simplified Grimace’s appearance and changed his personality. He became a large, cheerful, childlike companion in the McDonaldland cast rather than a villainous or mischievous milkshake thief. The redesign made him easier to understand and more suitable for family advertising.
The character is often mixed up with the Hamburglar, whose defining role was stealing hamburgers. Grimace’s original connection was to milkshakes, while the Hamburglar’s was to burgers. These early character traits show how McDonald’s used memorable behavior as part of its branding system.