The Hamburglar was the McDonald’s mascot known for stealing hamburgers.
The character appeared in McDonaldland advertising as a mischievous figure obsessed with hamburgers. Early versions wore a striped outfit and a cape, with a design that drew on familiar fictional thief imagery. His recurring role was to attempt to take hamburgers while Ronald McDonald and other characters reacted to his schemes.
The Hamburglar’s appearance changed substantially over time. The original version was shorter and more elderly-looking, while a later redesign presented him as a younger, more stylized character. These changes reflected broader shifts in McDonald’s advertising and children’s character design.
The Hamburglar is sometimes confused with Grimace, who was another McDonaldland mascot with a very different role and appearance. The character’s name is a pun combining “hamburger” with “burglar,” making his connection to the brand’s food especially direct. His importance comes from the way McDonald’s turned a product category into a memorable recurring personality.