A protective element includes an insulating substrate, a plurality of electrodes provided on the insulating substrate, a fuse element electrically connected to any electrode of the plurality of electrodes, and a heat generation element provided on the insulating substrate for heating and fusing the fuse element. The fuse element contains a composite metal material in which a first fusible metal and a second fusible metal are stacked, some of a component of the first fusible metal being dissolved at a joint working temperature, the second fusible metal being lower in melt temperature than the first fusible metal, at least some of a component of the second fusible metal being molten at the joint working temperature.