A first purpose of the present invention is to provide a solar cell which has exceptional photoelectric conversion efficiency and for which machining during manufacturing (e.g., mechanical patterning) can be performed well, and a method for manufacturing said solar cell. The first invention is a solar cell which has, on flexible bases (1, 2), an electrode (4), a transparent electrode, and a photoelectric conversion layer disposed between the electrode (4) and the transparent electrode, wherein: the solar cell furthermore has a hard film (3) disposed between the flexible bases (1, 2) and the electrode (4); and the hard film (3) contains a nitride, a carbide, or a boride containing at least one element selected from the group consisting of titanium, zirconium, aluminum, silicon, magnesium, vanadium, chromium, molybdenum, tantalum, and tungsten.