The Eric Trinity

Anselmo: Here's a photo of a picture the author drew of Eric; he's in the middle. The other two are characters from another novel that the author never finished. Uh, who are they, by the way?

Lorenzo: Emperors of the same country who lived five hundred years apart, although they're clad in business suits like Eric. While both reform-minded, the one in white was extremely violent in implementing reform and cleaning up his government. Five hundred years later, the red-haired one appeared. He was the opposite: he worked through existing channels to get his reforms in place, using force only if necessary or unavoidable.
Anselmo: So why'd the author put them together with the boss?
Lorenzo: No idea, but do you have the guts to ask him?