# Introduction to Inheritance in C#: an overview

Inheritance lets one class build on another. An archer is a character, so Archer inherits everything Character has, and adds what only archers have.

Apprentice · C# · OOP · Updated November 3, 2026

## After this lesson you can

- Explain inheritance as an is-a relationship between a base class and a derived class

## Key takeaways

- Inheritance fits an is-a relationship: an archer is a character, so `Archer` can inherit from `Character`.
- The derived (child) class gets the base (parent) class's properties and methods without writing them again, and adds only its own, such as `Arrows`.
- Say the sentence out loud. If it's has-a, as in a car has an engine, use a property such as `Engine` instead of inheritance.

**Inheritance** is one of the pillars of object-oriented programming, beside encapsulation. It solves the problem from *DRY Code in C#*: shared code written once, with no tangle of `if`s.

## Is-a

Inheritance describes an **is-a** relationship. An archer **is a** character. So the `Archer` class can **inherit** from the `Character` class, and it gets everything `Character` has: its properties and its methods.

![Archer inherits from Character: it has everything a character has, plus arrows](https://fsdtrainingmedia.blob.core.windows.net/public/images/2026/09/49a277df1c934dcc86d66103b133f676.png "Archer inherits from Character: it has everything a character has, plus arrows")

Because an archer is a character, an archer has a name, health, a level and experience, and can attack, take damage and level up, all without writing any of it again. On top of that, `Archer` adds what only archers have: `Arrows`, and an `AddArrow()` method.

## The words

| Word | Means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| **Base class** | The class that's inherited from (also called the *parent* class) | `Character` |
| **Derived class** | The class that inherits (also called the *child* class) | `Archer` |
| **Inherit** | Get the base class's members without writing them again | `Archer` inherits `LevelUp()` |

## Is-a, or has-a?

Inheritance only fits an **is-a** relationship. Test it by saying the sentence out loud:

| Sentence | True? | So |
|---|---|---|
| An archer **is a** character | Yes | `Archer` can inherit from `Character` |
| A wizard **is a** character | Yes | `Wizard` can inherit from `Character` |
| An archer **is a** bow | No: an archer **has a** bow | `Archer` gets a `Bow` property instead |
| A car **is an** engine | No: a car **has an** engine | `Car` gets an `Engine` property |

When the sentence is *has a*, the class holds the other as a property: an `Order` class would hold its products as a `List<Product>` property. Inheritance is only for *is a*.

## Check yourself

1 question to try on the lesson page.

## So what

Inheritance turns "an archer is a character" into code: one base class with the shared parts, and a derived class for each kind with only its own parts. The next lessons show how to find those parts and write them in C#.

## Key terms

- [Inheritance](https://www.ask-codey.com/glossary/inheritance-c-sharp)
- [Base Class](https://www.ask-codey.com/glossary/base-class)
- [Derived Class](https://www.ask-codey.com/glossary/derived-class)
- [Is-a vs Has-a](https://www.ask-codey.com/glossary/is-a-vs-has-a)

## Cheat sheets

- [Introduction to Inheritance in C#](https://www.ask-codey.com/cheat-sheets/introduction-to-inheritance-in-csharp-an-overview-cheat-sheet)

Source: https://www.ask-codey.com/lessons/introduction-to-inheritance-in-csharp-an-overview