GlitterDork

This leads to the conversation of "Did Edelgard Change Or Did She Endure" and I think it really depends on who you ask. Yes, I am going to refer to Dimitri and Edelgard and how they percieve things.

I think we should trust Edelgard when she says that she really has changed and her past self is dead. If Edelgard knows anything, it is most certainly herself. I think it comes down to the change being a very internal development, Edelgard in the aftermath was still mostly herself in terms of personality, but now she had a mission to accomplish and a new vision of what the world ought to be. Edelgard used to be believe in the Goddess and now she believed in something else. Given that Edelgard is an Ends Before Means kind of person, her self-image being radically changed makes more sense. 'Who is Edelgard' is not an important question to her, 'what is Edelgard going to do' is a much more important question to her. Edelgard was an authoritative and passionate girl who used to believe the Goddess was in heaven and all was right with the world, then Edelgard became an authoritative and passionate girl who believes the Goddess is dead and everything is wrong with the world.

It also makes sense why Dimitri insists that he can save Edelgard, because he is a Means Before Ends person. 'Who is Edelgard' is the more important question to him than 'what is Edelgard going to do.' As far as Dimitri is concerned, those changes are not as fundamental to Edelgard's character as she thinks they are. It is why Dimitri reaches out a hand, and has to accept that Edelgard has no desire to take it because she does not see herself the way he does.