What occurs if a copy effect indicates it retains an object's original characteristics?

When a copy effect states that it retains an object's original characteristics, this means that the copied object will act as if it has those original traits. Therefore, the correct understanding is that the copy effectively behaves as if it is the original object for the specified characteristics. This includes aspects like the name, mana cost, and types, depending on what is indicated by the copy effect.

Those original characteristics will influence how the copy interacts with the game and other effects. The statement about the copy excluding the stated characteristic does not align with how copy effects work in Magic: The Gathering rules; instead, the copy adopts the original characteristics as specified.

In this context, a copy that retains original characteristics is not mixed with additional traits nor does it completely replace or nullify the original object's properties. The key understanding here is that a copy that retains characteristics keeps the essential features of the object, functioning in the context of the game as if it were that original object.