One thing that really endeared me to Dimitri is that he isn’t immune to being called out on his worst behaviour post time skip, which was something that I felt like Edelgard was lacking. It’s one reason why I like Dimileth, which has me scratching my head when someone tells me that it’s “toxic” and that it “glorifies emotional dependency”, which is a nice way to dismiss his character arc. Along with saying that he’s “not morally grey” because he wants revenge, not the “greater good”.
I think those people don't realize that his entire character arc is about how no one is beyond redemption, that owning up to your mistakes is the first step to make up for them and that asking for help is a sign of strength and not weakness
He specifically says that the things he did were bad, that he can never make good what he's done, but he was given the chance to do good. And he might want revenge at first sure, but with support from the people who care about him - Byleth and Felix specifically, who are both willing to stand with him despite all the things he has done and also don't feed into his bullshit in two different but important ways - he turns himself around and takes up his old goals
And he's mentioned before shit hit the fan that he wants to make Fódlan better for the people who live in it now
Edelgard and Claude want a better future but Dimitri wants a better present and even though he's lost his way he finds his way back
And emotional dependency? Bullshit! Dimitri is the way he is because he was severely neglected after the death of his parents and Glenn. He would never have spiraled as badly as he did if he had gotten the support he needed right away.
We see this in a less severe way with Felix too, who also didn't get the support he needed from his father and became bitter and resentful as a result. But because he's so open about where it comes from and doesn't hide himself behind a mask like Dimitri, he does get emotional support from Sylvain
That's not emotional dependency, that's human nature. Sometimes people need help and Dimitri needed help but never got it, so he got worse and worse until...he got the help he needed from the beginning.
And that's an incredibly important message for people struggling with mental illness. It's never going to get better on its own, get help. Asking for help is a sign of strength.
Dimitri had to learn that and he did.
I love Dimitri with all my heart and his arc is incredibly well written. As someone with mental health problems I can identify with many aspects of his character. He's amazing and I wish people would understand him better.
germansingergirl
jacobvanloon
pixelskylines
