In fact, monk characters have been prevalent in World of Warcraft (WoW) lore since the beginning, but they were never in the spotlight. Veteran WoW players would have come across monk characters throughout the years the Warcraft series grew; from Crimson Monks, Argent Monks, those who rank within the Draenei, or the Dota Brewmaster hero.
Since 2010, rumor has it that Blizzard is introducing so-called ‘Panda Monks’. This was confirmed during the beta test of Mists of Pandaria, a WoW expansion that will be officially released on September 25, 2012. The expansion brings with it not only new content such as new zones, raid bosses, dungeons, and a new level cap 90, but also a new playable Monk Class and a Pandaren race (pandas in human form).
The World of Warcraft Mists of Pandaria expansion introduces fans to the hidden island of Pandaria, unspoiled and unaffected in any way by the endless war between the Horde and Alliance factions. With the new level cap of 90, players can expect to see many new wilderness areas, themed in line with the Monk class and the Pandaren race. Whether it’s dense green forests, rolling fields of golden crops, or beautiful icy mountain peaks, Blizzard takes players into an entirely new Azeroth, different from the war-torn landscape featured in the Warcraft series.
So where exactly do pandas fit into the lore? Long story short, the pandaren race was suppressed centuries ago by the mogu, so it was the monks who gave the pandaren hope. While under the control of the mogu, the pandaren monks learned to use chi and the art of unarmed combat to win their freedom. Monks, as shown in Mists of Pandaria, are a very capable class with three main specializations such as: tank, damage dealer, and healer.
However, players who choose to play the Monk class have the option to select races other than the Pandaren race as follows: Draenei, Ironforge Dwarf, Night Elf, Orc, Troll, Tauren, Gnome, Human, Forsaken, and Blood. Elf. Like druids and rogues, the monk class has armor options limited to leather armor at most and light clothing.
World of Warcraft Monk’s three specialization options make it possible for players with different playstyles to enjoy the class and consist of Brewmaster, Windwalker, and Mistweaver; a tank, melee DPS and healer respectively. Players can also further customize their Monk characters through selected skill options and tweaking builds here and there.