Let
$R$ be a ring and
$b,c\in R$. In this paper, we give some characterizations of the
$(b,c)$-inverse in terms of the direct sum decomposition, the annihilator, and the invertible elements. Moreover, elements with equal
$(b,c)$-idempotents related to their
$(b,c)$-inverses are characterized, and the reverse order rule for the
$(b,c)$-inverse is considered.