A front electrode for solar cells and a solar cell, the front electrode including a stepped structure at an outermost surface thereof, wherein the stepped structure is composed of n stages, in which n is an integer of 3 or greater, and an nth stage has a smaller cross-sectional area than an (n−1)th stage such that the (n−1)th stage is partially exposed, and the stepped structure occupies about 5% to about 100% of a total surface area of the outermost surface.