Which McDonald's character was originally portrayed as a thief of hamburgers?

The Hamburglar was the McDonald’s character originally portrayed as a thief of hamburgers.

He was introduced as part of the McDonaldland advertising universe and was defined by his attempts to steal hamburgers. Early versions had a more exaggerated, impish appearance, including striped clothing and a large nose. The character was later redesigned into a smaller, more child-friendly figure.

The Hamburglar’s role created a simple recurring story: he wanted McDonald’s hamburgers, while Ronald McDonald and the other characters tried to stop him. That repeated conflict made the character easy to recognize in short television commercials.

He is sometimes confused with Grimace, but the two had different branding roles. Grimace was associated with shakes and later became a friendly companion, while the Hamburglar’s original identity centered on hamburger theft.