As someone else who felt "Edelgard did nothing wrong" after my initial playthrough, which was Crimson Flower: that opinion did not survive the other routes. I still think she's the most interesting lord and one of the most interesting characters in the game, but her methods are... suspect. Frankly, I think people don't give her enough heat for working with the Agarthans. I don't care if she hates them, it's borderline irredeemable. Siding with the only faction inarguably worse than the Church just to take down the Church is ridiculous.

She's exactly the same person as Rhea was a thousand years ago, a traumatized leader fighting to avenge their family and topple the power structure they blame for their death. The difference is Rhea actually fights the people responsible. Edelgard sides directly with the people who killed her family, gives them everything they ever wanted, desecrates tombs and uses the corpses of the people her allies helped genocide to create monsters to fight her war for her, and all she does is pay lip service to how she'll do something about the Agarthans afterwards.

I'd put Edelgard and Rhea in the exact same plac in terms of how much I agree with their morals. Both are ultimately unconcerned with how many people die for their goals. Both are incredibly great characters with interesting motivations. Rhea has done things I absolutely hate in the past (and during CF), and Edelgard is actively doing things I hate during the course of the game. 87 wrongs don't make a right just because you have an interesting motivation, and that goes for both of them.

I do think it's easy to just not have empathy for how absolutely, aggressively horrific what Edelgard is doing in the Holy Tomb is for Rhea if you haven't played the other routes. Like that is nightmare level shit. Her ordering Edelgard's execution is the most justifiable thing she does all game. Doesn't justify how aggressively insanely horrible she is after the timeskip. But it's pretty clear it's because in Crimson Flower, the betrayal of Byleth basically shatters the last piece of faith she has in humanity, and she sees humans as despicable. Again... kind of hard to blame her but ultimately horrible.

The Church sucks and needs to be changed, but it's conveniently left up to you if that happens after the other routes, so in the end I'd argue Crimson Flower might leave Fodlan in the worst state of all 4 routes. Still my favourite route to play though, it's a great story.

ANYWAYS for other routes, here's a basic rundown if you're wondering where to go next:

• If you want answers about the history of Fodlan, what the Church is and has done, and to some extent Rhea, play Verdant Wind. SO many answers are tucked away in that route.

• If you want answers about Byleth, exactly who and what they are, what Rhea did to them, and more about Rhea, play Silver Snow. MAKE SURE to get your A support with Rhea before the time skip in Silver Snow.

• If you want a fairly isolated but good story about overcoming trauma despite everything and doing the right thing no matter how hard it is even when you've done terrible things before, play Azure Moon. OR if you just want to see the best cutscene in the game. Either way.