Don’t forget, Snow White probably harbors feelings of deep guilt over the death of Daniel (even though Cora manipulated 10-year-old Snow). So, Snow telling Emma not to blame herself for Robin’s death is likely Snow’s way of reassuring herself that she’s not to blame for the death of Daniel (even though she partially was).
I wish the show actually could muster the depth and thoughtfulness that your interpretation of it has. It’d be a much better show. I’m not so convinced that they are thinking about their characters in such nuanced, careful way, to be honest.
obody wants a character to undergo constant self flagellation for all the wrong they’ve done. Guilt in and of itself helps nobody. It’s about taking responsibility and learning from their mistakes. Emma never seems to do that, and THAT for me, is the most frustrating part. Perhaps that’s also one of the (many) reasons why Regina is so popular.
I think more broadly, Regina seems to be the only character who is written with any sort of self-awareness, and that actually grows and evolves somewhat organically. Everyone else is pretty much plug-and-play at this point — either there to fulfill the needs of the plot, character development be damned, or to give the audience what the show runners think the audience wants (Emma’s characterization in relation to the needs of CS)