The Hamburglar is McDonald's hamburger-stealing mascot, traditionally shown in a black-and-white striped outfit.
He became part of the McDonaldland cast in the early 1970s. The character's advertising role was built around attempting to take hamburgers, especially McDonald's signature hamburgers, while Ronald McDonald and the other characters reacted to his schemes.
The Hamburglar's appearance changed substantially over time. Early versions were smaller and more creature-like, while a later redesign presented him as a younger, human-like character wearing a red tie and cape. Those changes can cause confusion when identifying the classic mascot, but the hamburger thief remains the character's defining brand role.