diff --git a/narwhals/_compliant/dataframe.py b/narwhals/_compliant/dataframe.py
index 9c11876208..393e71c543 100644
--- a/narwhals/_compliant/dataframe.py
+++ b/narwhals/_compliant/dataframe.py
@@ -26,9 +26,9 @@
 from narwhals._translate import NumpyConvertible
 from narwhals._translate import ToNarwhals
 from narwhals._translate import ToNarwhalsT_co
+from narwhals._typing_compat import deprecated
 from narwhals.utils import Version
 from narwhals.utils import _StoresNative
-from narwhals.utils import deprecated
 from narwhals.utils import is_compliant_series
 from narwhals.utils import is_index_selector
 from narwhals.utils import is_range
diff --git a/narwhals/_compliant/expr.py b/narwhals/_compliant/expr.py
index 389491da2b..e0aea89110 100644
--- a/narwhals/_compliant/expr.py
+++ b/narwhals/_compliant/expr.py
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
-import sys
 from functools import partial
 from operator import methodcaller
 from typing import TYPE_CHECKING
@@ -30,23 +29,14 @@
 from narwhals._compliant.typing import EagerSeriesT
 from narwhals._compliant.typing import LazyExprT
 from narwhals._compliant.typing import NativeExprT
+from narwhals._typing_compat import Protocol38
+from narwhals._typing_compat import deprecated
 from narwhals.dependencies import get_numpy
 from narwhals.dependencies import is_numpy_array
 from narwhals.dtypes import DType
 from narwhals.utils import _StoresCompliant
-from narwhals.utils import deprecated
 from narwhals.utils import not_implemented
 
-if not TYPE_CHECKING:  # pragma: no cover
-    if sys.version_info >= (3, 9):
-        from typing import Protocol as Protocol38
-    else:
-        from typing import Generic as Protocol38
-else:  # pragma: no cover
-    # TODO @dangotbanned: Remove after dropping `3.8` (#2084)
-    # - https://github.com/narwhals-dev/narwhals/pull/2064#discussion_r1965921386
-    from typing import Protocol as Protocol38
-
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
     from typing import Mapping
 
diff --git a/narwhals/_compliant/group_by.py b/narwhals/_compliant/group_by.py
index 0216fb12a3..3719d2ace2 100644
--- a/narwhals/_compliant/group_by.py
+++ b/narwhals/_compliant/group_by.py
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
 import re
-import sys
 from typing import TYPE_CHECKING
 from typing import Any
 from typing import Callable
@@ -26,6 +25,7 @@
 from narwhals._compliant.typing import EagerExprT_contra
 from narwhals._compliant.typing import LazyExprT_contra
 from narwhals._compliant.typing import NativeExprT_co
+from narwhals._typing_compat import Protocol38
 from narwhals.utils import is_sequence_of
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
@@ -34,16 +34,6 @@
     _SameFrameT = TypeVar("_SameFrameT", CompliantDataFrameAny, CompliantLazyFrameAny)
 
 
-if not TYPE_CHECKING:  # pragma: no cover
-    if sys.version_info >= (3, 9):
-        from typing import Protocol as Protocol38
-    else:
-        from typing import Generic as Protocol38
-else:  # pragma: no cover
-    # TODO @dangotbanned: Remove after dropping `3.8` (#2084)
-    # - https://github.com/narwhals-dev/narwhals/pull/2064#discussion_r1965921386
-    from typing import Protocol as Protocol38
-
 __all__ = [
     "CompliantGroupBy",
     "DepthTrackingGroupBy",
diff --git a/narwhals/_compliant/selectors.py b/narwhals/_compliant/selectors.py
index 8a7ef7b580..62d3cdd345 100644
--- a/narwhals/_compliant/selectors.py
+++ b/narwhals/_compliant/selectors.py
@@ -14,24 +14,12 @@
 from typing import overload
 
 from narwhals._compliant.expr import CompliantExpr
+from narwhals._typing_compat import Protocol38
 from narwhals.utils import _parse_time_unit_and_time_zone
 from narwhals.utils import dtype_matches_time_unit_and_time_zone
 from narwhals.utils import get_column_names
 from narwhals.utils import is_compliant_dataframe
 
-if not TYPE_CHECKING:  # pragma: no cover
-    # TODO @dangotbanned: Remove after dropping `3.8` (#2084)
-    # - https://github.com/narwhals-dev/narwhals/pull/2064#discussion_r1965921386
-    import sys
-
-    if sys.version_info >= (3, 9):
-        from typing import Protocol as Protocol38
-    else:
-        from typing import Generic as Protocol38
-
-else:  # pragma: no cover
-    from typing import Protocol as Protocol38
-
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
     from datetime import timezone
 
diff --git a/narwhals/_compliant/when_then.py b/narwhals/_compliant/when_then.py
index fbabcc5484..b6a42c5265 100644
--- a/narwhals/_compliant/when_then.py
+++ b/narwhals/_compliant/when_then.py
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
-import sys
 from typing import TYPE_CHECKING
 from typing import Any
 from typing import Callable
@@ -19,6 +18,7 @@
 from narwhals._compliant.typing import LazyExprAny
 from narwhals._compliant.typing import NativeExprT
 from narwhals._compliant.typing import NativeSeriesT
+from narwhals._typing_compat import Protocol38
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
     from typing_extensions import Self
@@ -31,15 +31,6 @@
     from narwhals.utils import Version
     from narwhals.utils import _FullContext
 
-if not TYPE_CHECKING:  # pragma: no cover
-    if sys.version_info >= (3, 9):
-        from typing import Protocol as Protocol38
-    else:
-        from typing import Generic as Protocol38
-else:  # pragma: no cover
-    # TODO @dangotbanned: Remove after dropping `3.8` (#2084)
-    # - https://github.com/narwhals-dev/narwhals/pull/2064#discussion_r1965921386
-    from typing import Protocol as Protocol38
 
 __all__ = ["CompliantThen", "CompliantWhen", "EagerWhen", "LazyWhen"]
 
diff --git a/narwhals/_translate.py b/narwhals/_translate.py
index ea19e140ce..b4ca27c0d8 100644
--- a/narwhals/_translate.py
+++ b/narwhals/_translate.py
@@ -68,37 +68,13 @@ class OtherConvertible(
 from typing import Mapping
 from typing import Protocol
 
+from narwhals._typing_compat import TypeVar
+
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
     import pyarrow as pa
     from typing_extensions import Self
     from typing_extensions import TypeAlias
     from typing_extensions import TypeIs
-    from typing_extensions import TypeVar
-
-
-else:  # pragma: no cover
-    import sys
-
-    if sys.version_info >= (3, 13):
-        from typing import TypeVar
-    else:
-        from typing import TypeVar as _TypeVar
-
-        def TypeVar(  # noqa: ANN202, N802
-            name: str,
-            *constraints: Any,
-            bound: Any | None = None,
-            covariant: bool = False,
-            contravariant: bool = False,
-            **kwds: Any,  # noqa: ARG001
-        ):
-            return _TypeVar(
-                name,
-                *constraints,
-                bound=bound,
-                covariant=covariant,
-                contravariant=contravariant,
-            )
 
 
 class ArrowStreamExportable(Protocol):
diff --git a/narwhals/_typing_compat.py b/narwhals/_typing_compat.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..05ef604171
--- /dev/null
+++ b/narwhals/_typing_compat.py
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+"""Backward compatibility for newer/less buggy typing features.
+
+## Important
+Import from here to avoid introducing a runtime dependency on [`typing_extensions`]
+
+## Notes
+- `Protocol38`
+  - https://github.com/narwhals-dev/narwhals/pull/2064#discussion_r1965921386
+  - https://github.com/narwhals-dev/narwhals/pull/2294#discussion_r2014534830
+- `TypeVar` defaults
+  - https://typing.python.org/en/latest/spec/generics.html#type-parameter-defaults
+  - https://peps.python.org/pep-0696/
+- `@deprecated`
+  - https://docs.python.org/3/library/warnings.html#warnings.deprecated
+  - https://typing.python.org/en/latest/spec/directives.html#deprecated
+  - https://peps.python.org/pep-0702/
+
+[`typing_extensions`]: https://github.com/python/typing_extensions
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+# ruff: noqa: ARG001, ANN202, N802
+import sys
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING
+from typing import Any
+
+if TYPE_CHECKING:
+    from typing import Callable
+    from typing import Protocol as Protocol38
+
+    if sys.version_info >= (3, 13):
+        from typing import TypeVar
+        from warnings import deprecated
+    else:
+        from typing_extensions import TypeVar
+        from typing_extensions import deprecated
+
+    _Fn = TypeVar("_Fn", bound=Callable[..., Any])
+
+
+else:  # pragma: no cover
+    if sys.version_info >= (3, 13):
+        from typing import TypeVar
+        from warnings import deprecated
+    else:
+        from typing import TypeVar as _TypeVar
+
+        def TypeVar(
+            name: str,
+            *constraints: Any,
+            bound: Any | None = None,
+            covariant: bool = False,
+            contravariant: bool = False,
+            **kwds: Any,
+        ):
+            return _TypeVar(
+                name,
+                *constraints,
+                bound=bound,
+                covariant=covariant,
+                contravariant=contravariant,
+            )
+
+        def deprecated(message: str, /) -> Callable[[_Fn], _Fn]:
+            def wrapper(func: _Fn, /) -> _Fn:
+                return func
+
+            return wrapper
+
+    # TODO @dangotbanned: Remove after dropping `3.8` (#2084)
+    # - https://github.com/narwhals-dev/narwhals/pull/2064#discussion_r1965921386
+    if sys.version_info >= (3, 9):
+        from typing import Protocol as Protocol38
+    else:
+        from typing import Generic as Protocol38
+
+
+__all__ = ["Protocol38", "TypeVar", "deprecated"]
diff --git a/narwhals/stable/v1/__init__.py b/narwhals/stable/v1/__init__.py
index a45de72f64..ad5acbf046 100644
--- a/narwhals/stable/v1/__init__.py
+++ b/narwhals/stable/v1/__init__.py
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 from narwhals import dependencies
 from narwhals import exceptions
 from narwhals import selectors
+from narwhals._typing_compat import TypeVar
 from narwhals.dataframe import DataFrame as NwDataFrame
 from narwhals.dataframe import LazyFrame as NwLazyFrame
 from narwhals.dependencies import get_polars
@@ -89,7 +90,6 @@
 
     from typing_extensions import ParamSpec
     from typing_extensions import Self
-    from typing_extensions import TypeVar
 
     from narwhals._translate import IntoArrowTable
     from narwhals.dataframe import MultiColSelector
@@ -110,15 +110,11 @@
     DataFrameT = TypeVar("DataFrameT", bound="DataFrame[Any]")
     LazyFrameT = TypeVar("LazyFrameT", bound="LazyFrame[Any]")
     SeriesT = TypeVar("SeriesT", bound="Series[Any]")
-    IntoSeriesT = TypeVar("IntoSeriesT", bound="IntoSeries", default=Any)
     T = TypeVar("T", default=Any)
     P = ParamSpec("P")
     R = TypeVar("R")
-else:
-    from typing import TypeVar
 
-    IntoSeriesT = TypeVar("IntoSeriesT", bound="IntoSeries")
-    T = TypeVar("T")
+IntoSeriesT = TypeVar("IntoSeriesT", bound="IntoSeries", default=Any)
 
 
 class DataFrame(NwDataFrame[IntoDataFrameT]):
diff --git a/narwhals/utils.py b/narwhals/utils.py
index 46f28f0266..17beca2b0f 100644
--- a/narwhals/utils.py
+++ b/narwhals/utils.py
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 from warnings import warn
 
 from narwhals._enum import NoAutoEnum
+from narwhals._typing_compat import deprecated
 from narwhals.dependencies import get_cudf
 from narwhals.dependencies import get_dask
 from narwhals.dependencies import get_dask_dataframe
@@ -1763,24 +1764,6 @@ def _is_naive_format(format: str) -> bool:
     return not any(x in format for x in ("%s", "%z", "Z"))
 
 
-if TYPE_CHECKING:
-    import sys
-
-    if sys.version_info >= (3, 13):
-        # NOTE: avoids `mypy`
-        #     error: Module "narwhals.utils" does not explicitly export attribute "deprecated"  [attr-defined]
-        from warnings import deprecated as deprecated  # noqa: PLC0414
-    else:
-        from typing_extensions import deprecated as deprecated  # noqa: PLC0414
-else:
-
-    def deprecated(message: str, /) -> Callable[[_Fn], _Fn]:  # noqa: ARG001
-        def wrapper(func: _Fn, /) -> _Fn:
-            return func
-
-        return wrapper
-
-
 class not_implemented:  # noqa: N801
     """Mark some functionality as unsupported.