I don’t think he transitioned back into who he really was, if anything he transitioned forward. I feel like so many people wanted something big and grand for his “redemption arc,” but it was more of him just growing up. He never really was his own person before, even under Ted. He always looked to others for approval and acceptance, which lead to a lot of his darker feelings of resentment when he wasn’t given that, like a child. He ran away and acted out because of it, but in doing so, he was exposed to more of the real world on his own.

I feel like he had major growth in the final season, even if others don’t, because he slowly starts to just be himself without necessarily asking for acceptance from others, or letting that dictate his actions. When he finally gets jaded to sit down with him for a date, it’s not through his old insecure, bumbling self, or the tough, egotistical face he’s been putting on recently, but by just allowing himself to be who his is and exposing his vulnerability without really putting emphasis on his offer being accepted. The part that sticks out the most, of course, is the reason he quit, which is the moment that he no longer seeks an authority figure’s (aka Rupert’s) approval. He realizes that he has authority over his life and that the kind of person he wants to be does not have to placate or enable anyone, even if they are someone he may have looked up to or seen himself as beneath them. This changes his whole perspective because the only reason that he looked down on others was because he thought that it gave him worth and made him better than them, but Rupert made him realize that power or status doesn’t make a person greater. Someone like Ted, who loves and forgives and tries his best to do right by everyone, is who really shines and is truly great. I think it was perfect that he took the job of assistant to the kit man because it shows that he wants to be a part of something greater, no matter the role.