diff --git a/manim/animation/speedmodifier.py b/manim/animation/speedmodifier.py
index 9df1c9f018..63b9b2e5b3 100644
--- a/manim/animation/speedmodifier.py
+++ b/manim/animation/speedmodifier.py
@@ -4,15 +4,18 @@
 
 import inspect
 import types
-from typing import Callable
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Callable
 
 from numpy import piecewise
 
 from ..animation.animation import Animation, Wait, prepare_animation
 from ..animation.composition import AnimationGroup
-from ..mobject.mobject import Mobject, Updater, _AnimationBuilder
+from ..mobject.mobject import Mobject, _AnimationBuilder
 from ..scene.scene import Scene
 
+if TYPE_CHECKING:
+    from ..mobject.mobject import Updater
+
 __all__ = ["ChangeSpeed"]
 
 
diff --git a/manim/mobject/mobject.py b/manim/mobject/mobject.py
index ce5c971192..73b1920ff6 100644
--- a/manim/mobject/mobject.py
+++ b/manim/mobject/mobject.py
@@ -16,10 +16,9 @@
 import warnings
 from functools import partialmethod, reduce
 from pathlib import Path
-from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Callable, Iterable, Literal, TypeVar, Union
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Callable, Iterable, Literal
 
 import numpy as np
-from typing_extensions import Self, TypeAlias
 
 from manim.mobject.opengl.opengl_compatibility import ConvertToOpenGL
 
@@ -39,14 +38,9 @@
 from ..utils.paths import straight_path
 from ..utils.space_ops import angle_between_vectors, normalize, rotation_matrix
 
-# TODO: Explain array_attrs
-
-TimeBasedUpdater: TypeAlias = Callable[["Mobject", float], None]
-NonTimeBasedUpdater: TypeAlias = Callable[["Mobject"], None]
-Updater: TypeAlias = Union[NonTimeBasedUpdater, TimeBasedUpdater]
-T = TypeVar("T", bound="Mobject")
-
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
+    from typing_extensions import Self, TypeAlias
+
     from manim.typing import (
         FunctionOverride,
         Image,
@@ -61,6 +55,10 @@
 
     from ..animation.animation import Animation
 
+    TimeBasedUpdater: TypeAlias = Callable[["Mobject", float], object]
+    NonTimeBasedUpdater: TypeAlias = Callable[["Mobject"], object]
+    Updater: TypeAlias = NonTimeBasedUpdater | TimeBasedUpdater
+
 
 class Mobject:
     """Mathematical Object: base class for objects that can be displayed on screen.
@@ -237,7 +235,7 @@ def construct(self):
             cls.__init__ = cls._original__init__
 
     @property
-    def animate(self: T) -> _AnimationBuilder | T:
+    def animate(self) -> _AnimationBuilder | Self:
         """Used to animate the application of any method of :code:`self`.
 
         Any method called on :code:`animate` is converted to an animation of applying
@@ -2926,7 +2924,7 @@ def set_z_index(
         self,
         z_index_value: float,
         family: bool = True,
-    ) -> T:
+    ) -> Self:
         """Sets the :class:`~.Mobject`'s :attr:`z_index` to the value specified in `z_index_value`.
 
         Parameters