A negative electrode for a lithium metal battery, the negative electrode comprising: a lithium metal electrode comprising lithium metal or a lithium metal alloy; and a protective layer on at least a portion of the lithium metal electrode, wherein the protective layer has a Young's modulus of 10 6 Pascals or greater, measured according to ASTM D412 standard, wherein the protective layer comprises at least one first particle, wherein the first particle comprises an organic particle, an inorganic particle, an organic-inorganic particle, or a combination thereof, and wherein the first particle has a particle size of greater than 1 micrometer to 100 micrometers wherein the particle size is the particle diameter corresponding to 50% of the particles in a distribution curve in which particles are accumulated in the order of particle diameter from the smallest particle to the largest particle and a total number of accumulated particles is 100%, and a crosslinked material of a polymerizable oligomer, which is disposed between first particles of the at least one first particle, characterized in that the polymerizable oligomer comprises diethylene glycol diacrylate, triethylene glycol diacrylate, tetraethylene glycol diacrylate, polyethylene glycol diacrylate, dipropylene glycol diacrylate, tripropylene glycol diacrylate, ethoxylated trimethylolpropane triacrylate, acrylate-functionalized ethylene oxide, 1,6-hexanediol diacrylate, ethoxylated neopentyl glycol diacrylate; propoxylated neopentyl glycol diacrylate, allyl methacrylate, trimethylolpropane triacrylate, trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate, pentaerythritol triacrylate, ethoxylated propoxylated trimethylolpropane triacrylate propoxylated glyceryl triacrylate, tris(2-hydroxyethyl) isocyanurate triacrylate, pentaerythritol tetraacrylate, dipentaerythritol pentaacrylate, or a combination thereof, and that the first particle in the protective layer comprises a polymer homopolystyrene, a poly(styrene-divinylbenzene) copolymer, a poly(methyl methacrylate-divinylbenzene) copolymer, a poly(ethyl methacrylate-divinylbenzene) copolymer, a poly(pentyl methacrylate-divinylbenzene) copolymer, a poly(butyl methacrylate-divinylbenzene) copolymer, a poly(propyl methacrylate-divinylbenzene) copolymer, a poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene) copolymer, a poly(styrene-methyl methacrylate) copolymer, a poly(styrene-acrylonitrile) copolymer, a poly(styrene-vinylpyridine) copolymer, a poly(acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene) copolymer, a poly(acrylonitrile-ethylene-propylene-styrene) copolymer, a poly(methyl methacrylate-acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene) copolymer, a poly((C1-C9 alkyl) methacrylate-butadiene-styrene) copolymer, a poly(styrene-(C1-C9 alkyl) acrylate) copolymer, a poly(acrylonitrile-styrene-(C1-C9alkyl) acrylate) copolymer, a cross-linked polymer thereof, or a combination thereof. a lithium metal electrode comprising lithium metal or a lithium metal alloy; and a protective layer on at least a portion of the lithium metal electrode, wherein the protective layer has a Young's modulus of 10 6 Pascals or greater, measured according to ASTM D412 standard, wherein the protective layer comprises at least one first particle, wherein the first particle comprises an organic particle, an inorganic particle, an organic-inorganic particle, or a combination thereof, and wherein the first particle has a particle size of greater than 1 micrometer to 100 micrometers wherein the particle size is the particle diameter corresponding to 50% of the particles in a distribution curve in which particles are accumulated in the order of particle diameter from the smallest particle to the largest particle and a total number of accumulated particles is 100%, and a crosslinked material of a polymerizable oligomer, which is disposed between first particles of the at least one first particle, characterized in that the polymerizable oligomer comprises diethylene glycol diacrylate, triethylene glycol diacrylate, tetraethylene glycol diacrylate, polyethylene glycol diacrylate, dipropylene glycol diacrylate, tripropylene glycol diacrylate, ethoxylated trimethylolpropane triacrylate, acrylate-functionalized ethylene oxide, 1,6-hexanediol diacrylate, ethoxylated neopentyl glycol diacrylate; propoxylated neopentyl glycol diacrylate, allyl methacrylate, trimethylolpropane triacrylate, trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate, pentaerythritol triacrylate, ethoxylated propoxylated trimethylolpropane triacrylate propoxylated glyceryl triacrylate, tris(2-hydroxyethyl) isocyanurate triacrylate, pentaerythritol tetraacrylate, dipentaerythritol pentaacrylate, or a combination thereof, and that the first particle in the protective layer comprises a polymer homopolystyrene, a poly(styrene-divinylbenzene) copolymer, a poly(methyl methacrylate-divinylbenzene) copolymer, a poly(ethyl methacrylate-divinylbenzene) copolymer, a poly(pentyl methacrylate-divinylbenzene) copolymer, a poly(butyl methacrylate-divinylbenzene) copolymer, a poly(propyl methacrylate-divinylbenzene) copolymer, a poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene) copolymer, a poly(styrene-methyl methacrylate) copolymer, a poly(styrene-acrylonitrile) copolymer, a poly(styrene-vinylpyridine) copolymer, a poly(acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene) copolymer, a poly(acrylonitrile-ethylene-propylene-styrene) copolymer, a poly(methyl methacrylate-acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene) copolymer, a poly((C1-C9 alkyl) methacrylate-butadiene-styrene) copolymer, a poly(styrene-(C1-C9 alkyl) acrylate) copolymer, a poly(acrylonitrile-styrene-(C1-C9alkyl) acrylate) copolymer, a cross-linked polymer thereof, or a combination thereof.