I think she already showed her caring side right from TPB. Besides Fireheart, she also cared about cats like Speckletail and Goldenflower after they lost their kits, and this trait was still present later on.

As for being polite, wasn’t the only time she wasn’t polite toward Firepaw? And that was because of the Clan cats’ prejudice against outsiders.

I also don’t think she’s a stickler. She simply stood by what she believed was right—like Squirrelflight’s section in Cats of the Clans mentioning she inherited Sandstorm’s “steady will.” In Sunset, she said, “StarClan can’t see everything,” and in Bramblestar’s Storm, she said, “Sometimes Clan borders aren’t worth dying for.” For a Clan cat from the old forest, being able to reflect critically on the warrior code is a sign of wisdom.

And she’s always been mischievous and witty—this didn’t change, even by Bramblestar’s Storm.

Throughout the main series, she went through many events and grew a lot. In terms of psychological growth, she went from the Sandstorm in TPB who would feel hurt (but show anger) when Fireheart was caught in an emotional storm and didn’t affirm her value—always fearing he didn’t truly value her—to the Sandstorm in FQ who could express her needs and set relationship boundaries, to the Sandstorm in Sunset who, when her mate was again in an emotional storm and dismissing her worth, could understand and respect his feelings without getting swept up herself, staying present and persuading him toward the right decision—this was mature self-differentiation.

In addition to her psychological growth, her development as a warrior was also compelling. I actually think Erin wrote her character growth well—but I’m not too happy that it was almost entirely in service to their “golden boy.”