diff --git a/manimlib/mobject/mobject.py b/manimlib/mobject/mobject.py
index 170f34a2..a14a3ad6 100644
--- a/manimlib/mobject/mobject.py
+++ b/manimlib/mobject/mobject.py
@@ -462,32 +462,21 @@ class Mobject(object):
         self.assemble_family()
         return self
 
-    # Creating new Mobjects from this one
+    # Copying and serialization
 
-    def replicate(self, n: int) -> Group:
-        return self.get_group_class()(
-            *(self.copy() for x in range(n))
-        )
-
-    def get_grid(self, n_rows: int, n_cols: int, height: float | None = None, **kwargs):
-        """
-        Returns a new mobject containing multiple copies of this one
-        arranged in a grid
-        """
-        grid = self.replicate(n_rows * n_cols)
-        grid.arrange_in_grid(n_rows, n_cols, **kwargs)
-        if height is not None:
-            grid.set_height(height)
-        return grid
-
-    # Copying
+    def serialize(self):
+        pre, self.parents = self.parents, []
+        result = pickle.dumps(self)
+        self.parents = pre
+        return result
 
     def copy(self):
-        self.parents = []
         try:
-            return pickle.loads(pickle.dumps(self))
+            serial = self.serialize()
+            return pickle.loads(serial)
         except AttributeError:
             return copy.deepcopy(self)
+        return result
 
     def deepcopy(self):
         # This used to be different from copy, so is now just here for backward compatibility
@@ -513,7 +502,7 @@ class Mobject(object):
         self.become(self.saved_state)
         return self
 
-    def save_to_file(self, file_path):
+    def save_to_file(self, file_path: str):
         if not file_path.endswith(".mob"):
             file_path += ".mob"
         if os.path.exists(file_path):
@@ -521,7 +510,7 @@ class Mobject(object):
             if cont != "y":
                 return
         with open(file_path, "wb") as fp:
-            pickle.dump(self, fp)
+            fp.write(self.serialize())
         log.info(f"Saved mobject to {file_path}")
         return self
 
@@ -534,6 +523,41 @@ class Mobject(object):
             mobject = pickle.load(fp)
         return mobject
 
+    def become(self, mobject: Mobject):
+        """
+        Edit all data and submobjects to be idential
+        to another mobject
+        """
+        self.align_family(mobject)
+        for sm1, sm2 in zip(self.get_family(), mobject.get_family()):
+            sm1.set_data(sm2.data)
+            sm1.set_uniforms(sm2.uniforms)
+            sm1.shader_folder = sm2.shader_folder
+            sm1.texture_paths = sm2.texture_paths
+            sm1.depth_test = sm2.depth_test
+            sm1.render_primitive = sm2.render_primitive
+        self.refresh_shader_wrapper_id()
+        self.refresh_bounding_box(recurse_down=True)
+        return self
+
+    # Creating new Mobjects from this one
+
+    def replicate(self, n: int) -> Group:
+        serial = self.serialize()
+        group_class = self.get_group_class()
+        return group_class(*(pickle.loads(serial) for _ in range(n)))
+
+    def get_grid(self, n_rows: int, n_cols: int, height: float | None = None, **kwargs) -> Group:
+        """
+        Returns a new mobject containing multiple copies of this one
+        arranged in a grid
+        """
+        grid = self.replicate(n_rows * n_cols)
+        grid.arrange_in_grid(n_rows, n_cols, **kwargs)
+        if height is not None:
+            grid.set_height(height)
+        return grid
+
     # Updating
 
     def init_updaters(self):
@@ -1521,18 +1545,6 @@ class Mobject(object):
         """
         pass  # To implement in subclass
 
-    def become(self, mobject: Mobject):
-        """
-        Edit all data and submobjects to be idential
-        to another mobject
-        """
-        self.align_family(mobject)
-        for sm1, sm2 in zip(self.get_family(), mobject.get_family()):
-            sm1.set_data(sm2.data)
-            sm1.set_uniforms(sm2.uniforms)
-        self.refresh_bounding_box(recurse_down=True)
-        return self
-
     # Locking data
 
     def lock_data(self, keys: Iterable[str]):