>>100144589A character being completely different doesn't mean that they've grown. It just means that they're completely different.
Forgive me for the anime reference, but this is the only example that I can think of. In Whisper of the Heart, a shop keeper shows the MC a rock with embedded crystals and tells her that you get to the rare crystals by scraping away the dirt. That's how character development works. A character shows potential and, by repeatedly overcoming obstacles, they reveal that potential. Steven's character arc started in episode one and finished with ocean gem. He hasn't grown since and, if he has changed, then he's simply changed.
