User blog comment:Shishio san/The Shooting Star Project/@comment-4800978-20121128110554

Actually, they are dead. Being that they are the three Fullbringers to actually die last season. That's the thing about Soul Society, if you're there then as a general rule you are quite dead.

Otherwise, there's nothing to be really confused about here. Ichigo can reforge his Zanpakuto, it won't be the same as before but he'll still be able to recover it in some form. It's now strongly implied that Grimmjow is the person who Urahara has picked up, and the Fullbringers who died are looking to make a return as allies.

If anything this was the most clarifying chapter we've had in a long time.