diff --git a/scene/gui/rich_text_label.cpp b/scene/gui/rich_text_label.cpp
index 21a87d4e762..811f7f334e8 100644
--- a/scene/gui/rich_text_label.cpp
+++ b/scene/gui/rich_text_label.cpp
@@ -3946,24 +3946,15 @@ float RichTextLabel::get_percent_visible() const {
 	return percent_visible;
 }
 
-void RichTextLabel::set_effects(const Vector<Variant> &effects) {
-	custom_effects.clear();
-	for (int i = 0; i < effects.size(); i++) {
-		Ref<RichTextEffect> effect = Ref<RichTextEffect>(effects[i]);
-		custom_effects.push_back(effect);
-	}
-
+void RichTextLabel::set_effects(Array p_effects) {
+	custom_effects = p_effects;
 	if ((bbcode != "") && use_bbcode) {
 		parse_bbcode(bbcode);
 	}
 }
 
-Vector<Variant> RichTextLabel::get_effects() {
-	Vector<Variant> r;
-	for (int i = 0; i < custom_effects.size(); i++) {
-		r.push_back(custom_effects[i]);
-	}
-	return r;
+Array RichTextLabel::get_effects() {
+	return custom_effects;
 }
 
 void RichTextLabel::install_effect(const Variant effect) {
@@ -4279,12 +4270,13 @@ void RichTextLabel::_draw_fbg_boxes(RID p_ci, RID p_rid, Vector2 line_off, Item
 
 Ref<RichTextEffect> RichTextLabel::_get_custom_effect_by_code(String p_bbcode_identifier) {
 	for (int i = 0; i < custom_effects.size(); i++) {
-		if (!custom_effects[i].is_valid()) {
+		Ref<RichTextEffect> effect = custom_effects[i];
+		if (!effect.is_valid()) {
 			continue;
 		}
 
-		if (custom_effects[i]->get_bbcode() == p_bbcode_identifier) {
-			return custom_effects[i];
+		if (effect->get_bbcode() == p_bbcode_identifier) {
+			return effect;
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/scene/gui/rich_text_label.h b/scene/gui/rich_text_label.h
index ae04a7e6842..f25a8bf193e 100644
--- a/scene/gui/rich_text_label.h
+++ b/scene/gui/rich_text_label.h
@@ -363,7 +363,7 @@ private:
 	ItemMeta *meta_hovering = nullptr;
 	Variant current_meta;
 
-	Vector<Ref<RichTextEffect>> custom_effects;
+	Array custom_effects;
 
 	void _invalidate_current_line(ItemFrame *p_frame);
 	void _validate_line_caches(ItemFrame *p_frame);
@@ -577,8 +577,8 @@ public:
 	void set_percent_visible(float p_percent);
 	float get_percent_visible() const;
 
-	void set_effects(const Vector<Variant> &effects);
-	Vector<Variant> get_effects();
+	void set_effects(Array p_effects);
+	Array get_effects();
 
 	void install_effect(const Variant effect);