Which McDonald's mascot was originally portrayed as a thief who stole hamburgers?

The Hamburglar was originally portrayed as a thief who stole hamburgers in McDonald's advertising.

The character debuted in the early McDonaldland era as a small, mischievous figure whose main trait was trying to take hamburgers. His black-and-white striped clothing, cape, mask, and exaggerated speech made the joke immediately recognizable to children.

McDonald's later redesigned the Hamburglar several times. The character became taller and more human-looking, while the earlier version's speech and appearance were gradually retired. Even with those changes, the hamburger-stealing concept remained the core of the character's name and identity.

The Hamburglar is sometimes confused with Captain Crook, another McDonaldland villain associated with Filet-O-Fish. Captain Crook targeted fish sandwiches; the Hamburglar's defining target was hamburgers.