diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci-cd.yml b/.github/workflows/ci-cd.yml
index df4b2253..4a221a93 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci-cd.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci-cd.yml
@@ -156,7 +156,6 @@ jobs:
         - 3.11
         - "3.10"
         - 3.9
-        - 3.8
         no-extensions: ['', 'Y']
         os: [ubuntu, macos, windows]
         exclude:
@@ -169,7 +168,7 @@ jobs:
         - os: windows
           pyver: 3.13-freethreading  # this is still tested within cibuildwheel
         include:
-        - pyver: pypy-3.8
+        - pyver: pypy-3.9
           no-extensions: Y
           os: ubuntu
       fail-fast: false
diff --git a/.github/workflows/reusable-linters.yml b/.github/workflows/reusable-linters.yml
index 5df7b9ca..5b98b9da 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/reusable-linters.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/reusable-linters.yml
@@ -66,9 +66,9 @@ jobs:
         token: ${{ secrets.codecov-token }}
         files: >-
           .tox/.tmp/.mypy/python-3.13/cobertura.xml,
+          .tox/.tmp/.mypy/python-3.12/cobertura.xml
           .tox/.tmp/.mypy/python-3.11/cobertura.xml,
           .tox/.tmp/.mypy/python-3.9/cobertura.xml,
-          .tox/.tmp/.mypy/python-3.8/cobertura.xml
         flags: >-
           CI-GHA,
           MyPy
diff --git a/.pre-commit-config.yaml b/.pre-commit-config.yaml
index 8ab162d4..84ba292b 100644
--- a/.pre-commit-config.yaml
+++ b/.pre-commit-config.yaml
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ repos:
     - types-docutils
     - lxml  # dep of `--txt-report`, `--cobertura-xml-report` & `--html-report`
     - pytest
-    - pytest_codspeed
+    - pytest-codspeed == 2.2.1
     - Sphinx >= 5.3.0
     args:
     - --python-version=3.13
@@ -122,6 +122,21 @@ repos:
     - --cobertura-xml-report=.tox/.tmp/.mypy/python-3.13
     - --html-report=.tox/.tmp/.mypy/python-3.13
     pass_filenames: false
+  - id: mypy
+    alias: mypy-py312
+    name: MyPy, for Python 3.12
+    additional_dependencies:
+    - types-docutils
+    - lxml  # dep of `--txt-report`, `--cobertura-xml-report` & `--html-report`
+    - pytest
+    - pytest-codspeed == 2.2.1
+    - Sphinx >= 5.3.0
+    args:
+    - --python-version=3.12
+    - --txt-report=.tox/.tmp/.mypy/python-3.12
+    - --cobertura-xml-report=.tox/.tmp/.mypy/python-3.12
+    - --html-report=.tox/.tmp/.mypy/python-3.12
+    pass_filenames: false
   - id: mypy
     alias: mypy-py311
     name: MyPy, for Python 3.11
@@ -129,7 +144,7 @@ repos:
     - types-docutils
     - lxml  # dep of `--txt-report`, `--cobertura-xml-report` & `--html-report`
     - pytest
-    - pytest_codspeed
+    - pytest-codspeed == 2.2.1
     - Sphinx >= 5.3.0
     args:
     - --python-version=3.11
@@ -144,7 +159,7 @@ repos:
     - types-docutils
     - lxml  # dep of `--txt-report`, `--cobertura-xml-report` & `--html-report`
     - pytest
-    - pytest_codspeed
+    - pytest-codspeed == 2.2.1
     - Sphinx >= 5.3.0
     args:
     - --python-version=3.9
@@ -152,20 +167,5 @@ repos:
     - --cobertura-xml-report=.tox/.tmp/.mypy/python-3.9
     - --html-report=.tox/.tmp/.mypy/python-3.9
     pass_filenames: false
-  - id: mypy
-    alias: mypy-py38
-    name: MyPy, for Python 3.8
-    additional_dependencies:
-    - types-docutils
-    - lxml  # dep of `--txt-report`, `--cobertura-xml-report` & `--html-report`
-    - pytest
-    - pytest_codspeed
-    - Sphinx >= 5.3.0
-    args:
-    - --python-version=3.8
-    - --txt-report=.tox/.tmp/.mypy/python-3.8
-    - --cobertura-xml-report=.tox/.tmp/.mypy/python-3.8
-    - --html-report=.tox/.tmp/.mypy/python-3.8
-    pass_filenames: false
 
 ...
diff --git a/CHANGES/1036.breaking.rst b/CHANGES/1036.breaking.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b01af153
--- /dev/null
+++ b/CHANGES/1036.breaking.rst
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Dropped Python 3.8 support as it has reached EOL -- by :user:`bdraco`.
diff --git a/multidict/_abc.py b/multidict/_abc.py
index 0603cdd2..718f86f9 100644
--- a/multidict/_abc.py
+++ b/multidict/_abc.py
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 import abc
-import sys
 import types
 from collections.abc import Mapping, MutableMapping
 
@@ -9,15 +8,8 @@ class _TypingMeta(abc.ABCMeta):
     # basically MultiMapping[str] and other generic-like type instantiations
     # are emulated.
     # Note: real type hints are provided by __init__.pyi stub file
-    if sys.version_info >= (3, 9):
-
-        def __getitem__(self, key):
-            return types.GenericAlias(self, key)
-
-    else:
-
-        def __getitem__(self, key):
-            return self
+    def __getitem__(self, key):
+        return types.GenericAlias(self, key)
 
 
 class MultiMapping(Mapping, metaclass=_TypingMeta):
diff --git a/multidict/_multidict.c b/multidict/_multidict.c
index 1507d7b7..100509bd 100644
--- a/multidict/_multidict.c
+++ b/multidict/_multidict.c
@@ -775,21 +775,13 @@ static inline void
 multidict_tp_dealloc(MultiDictObject *self)
 {
     PyObject_GC_UnTrack(self);
-#if PY_MAJOR_VERSION >= 3 && PY_MINOR_VERSION >= 9
     Py_TRASHCAN_BEGIN(self, multidict_tp_dealloc)
-#else
-    Py_TRASHCAN_SAFE_BEGIN(self);
-#endif
     if (self->weaklist != NULL) {
         PyObject_ClearWeakRefs((PyObject *)self);
     };
     pair_list_dealloc(&self->pairs);
     Py_TYPE(self)->tp_free((PyObject *)self);
-#if PY_MAJOR_VERSION >= 3 && PY_MINOR_VERSION >= 9
     Py_TRASHCAN_END // there should be no code after this
-#else
-    Py_TRASHCAN_SAFE_END(self);
-#endif
 }
 
 static inline int
@@ -1236,16 +1228,7 @@ PyDoc_STRVAR(multidict_update_doc,
 "Update the dictionary from *other*, overwriting existing keys.");
 
 
-#if PY_MAJOR_VERSION >= 3 && PY_MINOR_VERSION >= 9
 #define multidict_class_getitem Py_GenericAlias
-#else
-static inline PyObject *
-multidict_class_getitem(PyObject *self, PyObject *arg)
-{
-    Py_INCREF(self);
-    return self;
-}
-#endif
 
 
 PyDoc_STRVAR(sizeof__doc__,
@@ -1947,9 +1930,7 @@ getversion(PyObject *self, PyObject *md)
 static inline void
 module_free(void *m)
 {
-#if PY_MAJOR_VERSION >= 3 && PY_MINOR_VERSION >= 9
     Py_CLEAR(multidict_str_lower);
-#endif
     Py_CLEAR(collections_abc_mapping);
     Py_CLEAR(collections_abc_mut_mapping);
     Py_CLEAR(collections_abc_mut_multi_mapping);
@@ -1978,12 +1959,10 @@ static PyModuleDef multidict_module = {
 PyMODINIT_FUNC
 PyInit__multidict(void)
 {
-#if PY_MAJOR_VERSION >= 3 && PY_MINOR_VERSION >= 9
     multidict_str_lower = PyUnicode_InternFromString("lower");
     if (multidict_str_lower == NULL) {
         goto fail;
     }
-#endif
 
     PyObject *module = NULL,
              *reg_func_call_result = NULL;
@@ -2122,9 +2101,7 @@ PyInit__multidict(void)
     return module;
 
 fail:
-#if PY_MAJOR_VERSION >= 3 && PY_MINOR_VERSION >= 9
     Py_XDECREF(multidict_str_lower);
-#endif
     Py_XDECREF(collections_abc_mapping);
     Py_XDECREF(collections_abc_mut_mapping);
     Py_XDECREF(collections_abc_mut_multi_mapping);
diff --git a/multidict/_multidict_py.py b/multidict/_multidict_py.py
index dc26a3ea..b9e16b09 100644
--- a/multidict/_multidict_py.py
+++ b/multidict/_multidict_py.py
@@ -7,13 +7,6 @@
 
 _marker = object()
 
-if sys.version_info >= (3, 9):
-    GenericAlias = types.GenericAlias
-else:
-
-    def GenericAlias(cls):
-        return cls
-
 
 class istr(str):
     """Case insensitive str."""
@@ -140,7 +133,7 @@ def __repr__(self):
         body = ", ".join("'{}': {!r}".format(k, v) for k, v in self.items())
         return "<{}({})>".format(self.__class__.__name__, body)
 
-    __class_getitem__ = classmethod(GenericAlias)
+    __class_getitem__ = classmethod(types.GenericAlias)
 
 
 class MultiDictProxy(_Base, MultiMapping):
diff --git a/setup.cfg b/setup.cfg
index c3b7cab5..7d642fa6 100644
--- a/setup.cfg
+++ b/setup.cfg
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@ classifiers =
 
   Programming Language :: Python
   Programming Language :: Python :: 3
-  Programming Language :: Python :: 3.8
   Programming Language :: Python :: 3.9
   Programming Language :: Python :: 3.10
   Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11
@@ -42,7 +41,7 @@ classifiers =
   Programming Language :: Python :: 3.13
 
 [options]
-python_requires = >= 3.8
+python_requires = >= 3.9
 install_requires =
   typing-extensions >= 4.1.0; python_version < '3.11'
 packages =
diff --git a/tests/conftest.py b/tests/conftest.py
index c7b266d8..77670636 100644
--- a/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/conftest.py
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@
 from dataclasses import dataclass
 from functools import cached_property
 from importlib import import_module
-from sys import version_info as _version_info
 from types import ModuleType
 from typing import Callable, Type
 
@@ -14,7 +13,6 @@
 from multidict import MultiMapping, MutableMultiMapping
 
 C_EXT_MARK = pytest.mark.c_extension
-PY_38_AND_BELOW = _version_info < (3, 9)
 
 
 @dataclass(frozen=True)
@@ -163,20 +161,12 @@ def pytest_addoption(
 
     parser.addoption(
         "--c-extensions",  # disabled with `--no-c-extensions`
-        action="store_true" if PY_38_AND_BELOW else argparse.BooleanOptionalAction,
+        action=argparse.BooleanOptionalAction,
         default=True,
         dest="c_extensions",
         help="Test C-extensions (on by default)",
     )
 
-    if PY_38_AND_BELOW:
-        parser.addoption(
-            "--no-c-extensions",
-            action="store_false",
-            dest="c_extensions",
-            help="Skip testing C-extensions (on by default)",
-        )
-
 
 def pytest_collection_modifyitems(
     session: pytest.Session,
diff --git a/tests/test_types.py b/tests/test_types.py
index ceaa391e..6d84f72e 100644
--- a/tests/test_types.py
+++ b/tests/test_types.py
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-import sys
 import types
 
 import pytest
@@ -85,19 +84,6 @@ def test_create_ci_multidict_proxy_from_multidict(multidict_module):
         multidict_module.CIMultiDictProxy(d)
 
 
-@pytest.mark.skipif(
-    sys.version_info >= (3, 9), reason="Python 3.9 uses GenericAlias which is different"
-)
-def test_generic_exists(multidict_module) -> None:
-    assert multidict_module.MultiDict[int] is multidict_module.MultiDict
-    assert multidict_module.MultiDictProxy[int] is multidict_module.MultiDictProxy
-    assert multidict_module.CIMultiDict[int] is multidict_module.CIMultiDict
-    assert multidict_module.CIMultiDictProxy[int] is multidict_module.CIMultiDictProxy
-
-
-@pytest.mark.skipif(
-    sys.version_info < (3, 9), reason="Python 3.9 is required for GenericAlias"
-)
 def test_generic_alias(multidict_module) -> None:
     assert multidict_module.MultiDict[int] == types.GenericAlias(
         multidict_module.MultiDict, (int,)