The Hamburglar was the McDonald's mascot known for stealing hamburgers in McDonaldland advertising.
McDonald's introduced the Hamburglar as part of the McDonaldland cast, where characters personified menu items, restaurant themes, or playful roles. His defining behavior was trying to take hamburgers, making him a comic troublemaker rather than a straightforward product spokesperson.
The character's appearance changed over the years. Early versions looked more like a small, older burglar, while later designs presented him as a younger character in a striped outfit. Those redesigns helped McDonald's keep the character visually appealing to children.
The Hamburglar is often confused with other McDonaldland figures, especially Mayor McCheese. Mayor McCheese represented the fictional community's leadership, while the Hamburglar's role was the hamburger-stealing prankster.