KotORI:

I'd say starting with soldier is always going to be your best bet. You don't need skills at all. Your companions got that covered. A soldier gives you all the stats that matter to survive in combat which is where it counts.

From there you have to decide if you want to be a saber-centric Jedi or a force-centric Jedi. The simplest way to go is saber-centric, obviously. If you decide to go force-centric you'll need to allocate some points to CHA and WIS. While force powers are handy buffs on a LS playthrough, Bastila and Jolee are also support casters so it is up to you if you want to join them. To either end, only go Guardian or Consular. Forget sentinel. Take one extreme or the other.

The easiest class combo is Soldier > Guardian. You'll only have to worry about STR and CON and maybe a point or two in CHA. Tear it up in combat like it's nobody's business. Have a force caster companion around for those added buffs. Also without having to worry about force powers you're free to wear heavy armor. A force user's biggest weakness is that they're squishy. It's tight trying to cover every stat other than INT, but try to dump points into DEX to compensate.

The only exception to the no skills rule is persuasion so it helps to have at least one point in CHA regardless. Making those speech checks will save you a lot of headaches.

KotorII:

This one's a no brainer. Start with soldier and go Consular. The biggest difference between KotORI&II is that KotORII has a feat that allows you to use your DEX modifier in melee. This allows force users to go toe to toe with a saber. Light armor in KotORII also provides more than adequate protection. If you don't go consular you are sacrificing force powers, full stop. Soldier > Consular is a whirlwind of saber force power destruction in a fancy hat.

Otherwise, same general rules apply. Forget skills but be able to persuade.