Dimitri seems an honorable, idealistic, and kind man, but underneath his noble persona, he has a violent and ruthless nature, as well as trauma which he gained following a event that has haunted him since childhood.

Following the five-year timeskip, during the War of Fódlan, Dimitri's sanity has been heavily reduced to that of a vengeful and sadistic individual with barely regard of anyone's lives, including his own.

[citation needed] Dimitri is the prince of the kingdom of Faerghus, one of multiple territories in Fodlan, and the only survivor of the Tragedy of Duscur, which saw his family killed.

When Byleth returns, they find Dimitri suffering from the trauma five years past, and the two reunite the Blue Lions to reclaim the Monastery.

If the player chooses to side with Edelgard and the Black Eagles, Dimitri serves as a supporting antagonist alongside Rhea, ultimately dying in battle.

[5] When designing the characters' aged-up versions following the time skip, Three Houses director Toshiyuki Kusakihara intended for the experience of the past five years to be reflected in their appearance.

[8] Polygon writer Patricia Hernandez discussed the brutalities surrounding the game's five-year time skip, specifically how it impacted Dimitri.

Hernandez wanted to believe Dimitri was a good person, but realized how traumatized and damaged he was by his family's murder when Edelgard's plot is revealed.

[1] The Mary Sue writer Madeline Carpou regarded Dimitri as one of the hottest video game men, believing that he was a contributing factor to why many newcomers to Fire Emblem got into Three Houses.

Minor felt that, while Dimitri's criticisms that Edelgard was taking away people's faith and would thus leave them confused instead of being able to enjoy a better world were correct, he did not offer up a viable alternative.

[15] Paste writer Substitute Thapliyal suggested that the relationship between Dimitri and Dedue could be read as "explicitly queer".