diff --git a/evennia/accounts/accounts.py b/evennia/accounts/accounts.py
index 520aa4cbc7..2cb8064fef 100644
--- a/evennia/accounts/accounts.py
+++ b/evennia/accounts/accounts.py
@@ -483,7 +483,7 @@ class DefaultAccount(with_metaclass(TypeclassBase, AccountDB)):
         kwargs["options"] = options
 
         if text is not None:
-            if not (isinstance(text, basestring) or isinstance(text, tuple)):
+            if not (isinstance(text, str) or isinstance(text, tuple)):
                 # sanitize text before sending across the wire
                 try:
                     text = to_str(text, force_string=True)
diff --git a/evennia/commands/cmdhandler.py b/evennia/commands/cmdhandler.py
index bc98dd5748..1f068e13e3 100644
--- a/evennia/commands/cmdhandler.py
+++ b/evennia/commands/cmdhandler.py
@@ -211,8 +211,8 @@ def _process_input(caller, prompt, result, cmd, generator):
 
     Args:
         caller (Character, Account or Session): the caller.
-        prompt (basestring): The sent prompt.
-        result (basestring): The unprocessed answer.
+        prompt (str): The sent prompt.
+        result (str): The unprocessed answer.
         cmd (Command): The command itself.
         generator (GeneratorType): The generator.
 
diff --git a/evennia/commands/default/building.py b/evennia/commands/default/building.py
index 11377c0a0d..4b6ac6f782 100644
--- a/evennia/commands/default/building.py
+++ b/evennia/commands/default/building.py
@@ -2930,7 +2930,7 @@ class CmdSpawn(COMMAND_DEFAULT_CLASS):
                 if ';' in self.args:
                     key, tags = (part.strip().lower() for part in self.args.split(";", 1))
                     tags = [tag.strip() for tag in tags.split(",")] if tags else None
-                EvMore(caller, unicode(protlib.list_prototypes(caller, key=key, tags=tags)),
+                EvMore(caller, str(protlib.list_prototypes(caller, key=key, tags=tags)),
                        exit_on_lastpage=True)
                 return
 
@@ -3063,13 +3063,13 @@ class CmdSpawn(COMMAND_DEFAULT_CLASS):
         # A direct creation of an object from a given prototype
 
         prototype = _parse_prototype(
-                self.args, expect=dict if self.args.strip().startswith("{") else basestring)
+                self.args, expect=dict if self.args.strip().startswith("{") else str)
         if not prototype:
             # this will only let through dicts or strings
             return
 
         key = '<unnamed>'
-        if isinstance(prototype, basestring):
+        if isinstance(prototype, str):
             # A prototype key we are looking to apply
             key = prototype
             prototypes = protlib.search_prototype(prototype)
diff --git a/evennia/commands/default/tests.py b/evennia/commands/default/tests.py
index 4856844ed3..d252e738c2 100644
--- a/evennia/commands/default/tests.py
+++ b/evennia/commands/default/tests.py
@@ -155,10 +155,10 @@ class TestGeneral(CommandTest):
                 "Account-nick 'testalias' mapped to 'testaliasedstring2'.")
         self.call(general.CmdNick(), "/object testalias = testaliasedstring3",
                 "Object-nick 'testalias' mapped to 'testaliasedstring3'.")
-        self.assertEqual(u"testaliasedstring1", self.char1.nicks.get("testalias"))
-        self.assertEqual(u"testaliasedstring2", self.char1.nicks.get("testalias", category="account"))
+        self.assertEqual("testaliasedstring1", self.char1.nicks.get("testalias"))
+        self.assertEqual("testaliasedstring2", self.char1.nicks.get("testalias", category="account"))
         self.assertEqual(None, self.char1.account.nicks.get("testalias", category="account"))
-        self.assertEqual(u"testaliasedstring3", self.char1.nicks.get("testalias", category="object"))
+        self.assertEqual("testaliasedstring3", self.char1.nicks.get("testalias", category="object"))
 
     def test_get_and_drop(self):
         self.call(general.CmdGet(), "Obj", "You pick up Obj.")
diff --git a/evennia/contrib/building_menu.py b/evennia/contrib/building_menu.py
index 596af136b3..8b7b18343d 100644
--- a/evennia/contrib/building_menu.py
+++ b/evennia/contrib/building_menu.py
@@ -595,7 +595,7 @@ class BuildingMenu(object):
                     if choice_key == self.joker_key:
                         continue
 
-                    if not isinstance(menu_key, basestring) or menu_key != choice_key:
+                    if not isinstance(menu_key, str) or menu_key != choice_key:
                         common = False
                         break
 
@@ -631,7 +631,7 @@ class BuildingMenu(object):
                     if choice_key == self.joker_key:
                         continue
 
-                    if not isinstance(menu_key, basestring) or menu_key != choice_key:
+                    if not isinstance(menu_key, str) or menu_key != choice_key:
                         common = False
                         break
 
diff --git a/evennia/objects/objects.py b/evennia/objects/objects.py
index 68d391bcb2..97a99ad53d 100644
--- a/evennia/objects/objects.py
+++ b/evennia/objects/objects.py
@@ -571,7 +571,7 @@ class DefaultObject(with_metaclass(TypeclassBase, ObjectDB)):
             logger.log_trace()
 
         if text is not None:
-            if not (isinstance(text, basestring) or isinstance(text, tuple)):
+            if not (isinstance(text, str) or isinstance(text, tuple)):
                 # sanitize text before sending across the wire
                 try:
                     text = to_str(text, force_string=True)
diff --git a/evennia/prototypes/protfuncs.py b/evennia/prototypes/protfuncs.py
index a13aa7e532..235a0d7628 100644
--- a/evennia/prototypes/protfuncs.py
+++ b/evennia/prototypes/protfuncs.py
@@ -256,7 +256,7 @@ def eval(*args, **kwargs):
     string = ",".join(args)
     struct = literal_eval(string)
 
-    if isinstance(struct, basestring):
+    if isinstance(struct, str):
         # we must shield the string, otherwise it will be merged as a string and future
         # literal_evas will pick up e.g. '2' as something that should be converted to a number
         struct = '"{}"'.format(struct)
diff --git a/evennia/prototypes/prototypes.py b/evennia/prototypes/prototypes.py
index fc8edb55ab..5a37f29216 100644
--- a/evennia/prototypes/prototypes.py
+++ b/evennia/prototypes/prototypes.py
@@ -567,7 +567,7 @@ def protfunc_parser(value, available_functions=None, testing=False, stacktrace=F
             eventual object #dbrefs in the output from the protfunc.
 
     """
-    if not isinstance(value, basestring):
+    if not isinstance(value, str):
         try:
             value = value.dbref
         except AttributeError:
diff --git a/evennia/prototypes/spawner.py b/evennia/prototypes/spawner.py
index d1c099fb57..5d72f9ba3b 100644
--- a/evennia/prototypes/spawner.py
+++ b/evennia/prototypes/spawner.py
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ prototype, override its name with an empty dict.
 
 
 """
-from __future__ import print_function
+
 
 import copy
 import hashlib
@@ -447,7 +447,7 @@ def batch_update_objects_with_prototype(prototype, diff=None, objects=None):
     """
     prototype = protlib.homogenize_prototype(prototype)
 
-    if isinstance(prototype, basestring):
+    if isinstance(prototype, str):
         new_prototype = protlib.search_prototype(prototype)
     else:
         new_prototype = prototype
diff --git a/evennia/prototypes/tests.py b/evennia/prototypes/tests.py
index 411bd45c27..cb30dc8f42 100644
--- a/evennia/prototypes/tests.py
+++ b/evennia/prototypes/tests.py
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ class TestUtils(EvenniaTest):
              'prototype_key': Something,
              'prototype_locks': 'spawn:all();edit:all()',
              'prototype_tags': [],
-             'tags': [(u'foo', None, None)],
+             'tags': [('foo', None, None)],
              'typeclass': 'evennia.objects.objects.DefaultObject'}, new_prot)
 
     def test_update_objects_from_prototypes(self):
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ class TestUtils(EvenniaTest):
                           'prototype_key': Something,
                           'prototype_locks': 'spawn:all();edit:all()',
                           'prototype_tags': [],
-                          'tags': [(u'footag', u'foocategory', None)],
+                          'tags': [('footag', 'foocategory', None)],
                           'typeclass': 'evennia.objects.objects.DefaultObject'})
 
         self.assertEqual(old_prot,
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ class TestUtils(EvenniaTest):
               'typeclass': ('evennia.objects.objects.DefaultObject',
                             'evennia.objects.objects.DefaultObject', 'KEEP'),
               'aliases': {'foo': ('foo', None, 'REMOVE')},
-              'tags': {u'footag': ((u'footag', u'foocategory', None), None, 'REMOVE')},
+              'tags': {'footag': (('footag', 'foocategory', None), None, 'REMOVE')},
               'prototype_desc': ('Built from Obj',
                                  'New version of prototype', 'UPDATE'),
               'permissions': {"Builder": (None, 'Builder', 'ADD')}
@@ -391,7 +391,7 @@ class TestPrototypeStorage(EvenniaTest):
             self.assertEqual(list(protlib.search_prototype("prot")), [prot1b, prot2, prot3])
             self.assertEqual(list(protlib.search_prototype(tags="foo1")), [prot1b, prot2, prot3])
 
-        self.assertTrue(str(unicode(protlib.list_prototypes(self.char1))))
+        self.assertTrue(str(str(protlib.list_prototypes(self.char1))))
 
 
 class _MockMenu(object):
@@ -574,17 +574,17 @@ class TestMenuModule(EvenniaTest):
         # diff helpers
         obj_diff = {
             'attrs': {
-                u'desc': ((u'desc', u'This is User #1.', None, ''),
-                          (u'desc', u'This is User #1.', None, ''),
+                'desc': (('desc', 'This is User #1.', None, ''),
+                          ('desc', 'This is User #1.', None, ''),
                           'KEEP'),
-                u'foo': (None,
-                         (u'foo', u'bar', None, ''),
+                'foo': (None,
+                         ('foo', 'bar', None, ''),
                          'ADD'),
-                u'prelogout_location': ((u'prelogout_location', "#2", None, ''),
-                                        (u'prelogout_location', "#2", None, ''),
+                'prelogout_location': (('prelogout_location', "#2", None, ''),
+                                        ('prelogout_location', "#2", None, ''),
                                         'KEEP')},
                 'home': ('#2', '#2', 'KEEP'),
-                'key': (u'TestChar', u'TestChar', 'KEEP'),
+                'key': ('TestChar', 'TestChar', 'KEEP'),
                 'locks': ('boot:false();call:false();control:perm(Developer);delete:false();'
                           'edit:false();examine:perm(Developer);get:false();msg:all();'
                           'puppet:false();tell:perm(Admin);view:all()',
@@ -598,8 +598,8 @@ class TestMenuModule(EvenniaTest):
                 'prototype_locks': ('spawn:all();edit:all()', 'spawn:all();edit:all()', 'KEEP'),
                 'prototype_tags': {},
                 'tags': {'foo': (None, ('foo', None, ''), 'ADD')},
-                'typeclass': (u'typeclasses.characters.Character',
-                              u'typeclasses.characters.Character', 'KEEP')}
+                'typeclass': ('typeclasses.characters.Character',
+                              'typeclasses.characters.Character', 'KEEP')}
 
         texts, options = olc_menus._format_diff_text_and_options(obj_diff)
         self.assertEqual(